Forever Autumn: The Destiny of Dipper Pines
by E350
Summary: Summer has ended, and Dipper and Mabel have returned home. Dipper, split from Mabel, now faces a suffocatingly ordinary life as an outcast in an average middle school...but he soon finds that Bill Cipher isn't finished with him yet. Rated for future violence. Post SotBE.
1. Prologue

Woo! Gravity Falls fanfic! I'm gonna write it like a person! _*smashes face on keyboard*_

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

Autumn came very early to Gravity Falls.

The rains came in late August – nearly every day, the small town could expect rainfall. The temperature dropped sharply and the winds picked up. The world around Gravity Falls seemed to fix into a canvas of dull greys and browns.

It matched the general mood.

Summer was coming to a close. In a matter of days, the schools would reopen and the yearly tourist trade would dry up. The weather would get progressively worse, and soon the time would come to prepare for winter. The people of Gravity Falls weren't looking forward to it – winters could be harsh in Oregon. There was also an prevailing sense that autumn just wasn't as _cheerful_ as summer.

But there was something else in the air, something everyone could feel but nobody could quite explain. It was a cold, ethereal feeling that came in bursts and chilled one to the bone, and it evoked a faint sense of dread. It was if something strange and terrible were about to happen.

Which it was.

It was on a wet morning – the first day of September, a Saturday – when _he_ came to see Old Man McGucket.

The crazed old man was sheltering under a box in the dump he called home, eating from a can of beans while muttering to himself. It was just another day in the life of this unhinged and lonely old prospector; spent living on scraps and rubbish, harassing the people of Gravity Falls and most of all, tinkering. McGucket liked tinkering.

As he finished his can, discarding it by throwing it off into the dump, he felt a strange wind pick up. The world around him seemed to get greyer.

"_Heeeeeey! _McGucket, old pal, how ya doin'?"

McGucket peered out from his box as a blue vortex shimmered into view in front of him. The form of a large yellow triangle being, adorned with a top hat and stringy black limbs, emerged from the vortex, a single eye with a narrow, cat-like pupil his only facial feature.

McGucket scratched his head.

"Hey, I 'member you!" he exclaimed in his raspy voice, "I'm gonna have yer name in a second...uh...it's...um..._Ben_, isn't it?"

The triangle rolled his eye.

"_Really_, McGucket?" he scoffed, "All we've been through and you can't even remember my name? That's just disappointing!"

"No, wait up, I got it!" said McGucket, snapping his fingers, "Bill! Bill Cipher!"

A dinging sound rang out from nowhere as Bill's eye seemed to light up.

"Ya got it! Good job!" he exclaimed, "Five points to the crazy old guy!"

He slow-clapped before floating down towards McGucket. He seemed to change size slightly, scaling down to about the size of McGucket's head.

"So I was in the neighbourhood, McGucket, and I was wondering," shrugged Bill, "Ya remember ol' six-fingers, right? Our mutual friend? Y'know, the paranoid one!"

"Rings a bell," nodded McGucket.

"Well, if I recall correctly – _and I do_ – he gave ya something, didn't he?" continued Bill, "Some kinda book. Ya know what I mean, right?"

McGucket scratched his chin. A light seemed to turn on in his eyes.

"The journals," he replied, "Y'all talkin' bout them journals!"

"Ooh! Old man's getting practically _lucid_ here!" exclaimed Bill, clapping his hands together, "But no, I'm not talkin' about the journals. Ya know what I'm talkin' about, McGucket."

McGucket crossed his arms.

"And what makes you think I still have his letter?" he asked, surprisingly seriously.

"Oh, I know ya don't have it anymore, McGucket," replied Bill, "But I've got a hunch you know who has it? So who'd ya give it to? It's not Mackerel, is it? Why would ya give it to him? He'd just sell it..."

McGucket snorted.

"I sent it somewhere you'll never find it, Bill," he replied, "Somewhere _far, far_ away from Gravity..."

"You gave it to Pine Tree, didn't cha?"

"E-yup!" replied McGucket, grinning widely.

"How'd ya even get his address?" demanded Bill, "I mean, he lives in...what's that one at the bottom right? Is it Mexico? I think it's Mexico..."

"I have my ways," shrugged McGucket, "And it don't matter! I have the address right here!" he pointed at his head, "And you ain't never gonna get it, y'hear? Never!"

He began to laugh wildly. Bill narrowed his eye.

"Challenge accepted, ya crazy old coot," he snapped.

He suddenly glowed blue and flew right into McGucket's head. The old man clutched his head as his eyes shone a brilliant, pupil-less blue. He fell to his knees – an ear-piercing scream filled the air.

Slowly, the screaming subsided, and McGucket's eyes stopped glowing. He fell face-first into the dirt, out cold. With a flash, Bill appeared above him.

"Whew! Well, if he wasn't insane before, he certainly is now!" exclaimed Bill, "Let's see what we got here..."

An envelope appeared in front of him, an address written on the front.

_DIPPER PINES  
>233 RENZETTI AVE<br>PIEDMONT, CALIFORNIA_

"There we go!" exclaimed Bill, "Wow, I never been to California!"

He narrowed his eye.

"Well, Pine Tree, looks like we're gonna have some fun," he chuckled, "Better call up some old friends, make a party of it. The kid can be the piñata!"

He crossed his arms.

"Kinda a shame, actually," he shrugged, "The kid sorta grew on me. But ya gotta do what ya gotta do to get stuff done..."

He glanced over to McGucket's unconscious form.

"...and I gotta break Pine Tree even worse then you broke yourself, McGucket."

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><p>CFKA QEB MXPPTLOAP XKA VLR PEXII CFKA QEB XKPTBOP<p> 


	2. Chapter I: Autumn

As I wrote this, I found myself recalling how much Year Eight sucked.

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**BillCipher5:** -iddleford? =P Thanks for reading!

**TweenisodeOrange:** Glad I've caught your interest. :) Thanks for reviewing!

**Forestspirit of Thunderclan:** Bill wouldn't be Bill if he wasn't messing with someone, would he? ;) Thanks for the review!

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><p><strong>Chapter I: Autumn<strong>

September 3rd, 2012. D-Day. School.

Dipper Pines looked glumly out the window of his mother's car into the grey drizzle that poured over the suburbia of Piedmont, California. Clear drops drizzled down the dirty glass, distorting the drab canvas of identical brick houses and perfectly rectangular hedges. Men and women walked along the sidewalks, dressed in blacks and greys and browns – just another ordinary Monday in just another ordinary town.

Next to him, his sister Mabel was talking animatedly about their summer to their mother, who nodded and smiled to everything she said. Her pink sweater shone as a sole beacon of colour in a world of browns and greys.

It had been about five days since they had returned from Gravity Falls, and Dipper couldn't help but find Peidmont dull and unexciting in comparison. The sentiment initially surprised him – he'd never had a problem with the suburbs before now – but when he thought about it, it made sense.

Gravity Falls had been an awakening for Dipper. He'd found himself in a bold new world, a world of mystery and adventure which he seemed to slip into like a piece of a puzzle. He'd discovered so much, about the world and about himself – how could he just return to being a normal kid in suburban California?

The 'good news' when he'd gotten home hadn't helped. It seemed that while Dipper and Mabel had been in Gravity Falls, their parents had been talking to a private school over in Oakland about a scholarship for Mabel. By the time the new semester had rolled around, Mabel had been accepted as a new student in a highly regarded middle-school. Dipper had had no such luck, and would be going to the local school. The Mystery Twins were being split up.

His father had seemed sympathetic, but had informed Dipper that Shell Heights Middle School wasn't a _bad_ school, and that he'd do just fine there. 'Dipper,' he had said, 'You're a smart kid. You can survive without Mabel, I'm sure of it.'

"Well, here we are," Dipper's mother declared.

The car jolted as it pulled to a halt. Dipper looked out at his new school.

It looked more like prison.

The large, brutalist concrete structure had clearly seen better days. The walls were blackened and dirty, the windows cracked with bars covering them. An old brass plaque was suspended over a grimy glass door; 'WELCOME TO –HELL HEIGHTS MIDDLE SCHOOL.'

Dipper thought of the Mystery Shack and it's constantly falling 'S', and he felt a faint twang in his heart.

"Mom?" asked Dipper, "Do I have to go? Can't I go with Mabel?"

"Do you have a spare three thousand bucks?" his mother asked, wryly.

Dipper shook his head. His mother offered him a small smile, leaning over to him and putting a hand on his shoulder.

"You'll do fine, Dipper," she said, trying to reassure her son, "I went here when I was a girl. I'm still alive, aren't I?"

Dipper allowed himself a small smile that he didn't really feel.

"Go get 'em, my little Lamby," encouraged his mother.

Slowly, Dipper opened the door and climbed out of the car. The drizzle washed over him – cool, but not cold – and he began to walk quickly towards the door. He refused to look back, even as he heard the car leave – if he did, the urge to run might become uncontrollable.

Pushing though the heavy front door, he found himself in front of a small kiosk, a bored, grey-haired old women slumped behind it. Ahead of him was a long, dark hallway lined by rusty green lockers – three to a column, top to bottom.

"You new here, boy?" wheezed the receptionist.

Dipper jumped, surprised by the sudden attention. He turned around to face the elderly woman, scratching the back of his neck.

"Uh, y-yeah, I'm Dipper Pines," he gulped.

"I don't care who you are, boy," grumbled the receptionist, her voice coarse and dry, "Orientation is down the hall to the left – get in there before you're missed."

"Okay," nodded Dipper, "Uh, thanks..."

"Just get, kid," muttered the receptionist.

Dipper walked quickly away, making a note to himself not to talk to the receptionist again if he could help it.

The assembly hall was not hard to find – it was a clearly marked set of wooden doors nestled in the gap between two lines of lockers. Dipper slipped into the hall, finding it full of kids (only a few of them his age – thirteen as of early August) planted on disposable plastic chairs in front of a small stage. The room smelt – of what, Dipper couldn't quite tell, but he thought his nose was picking up traces of gum.

Dipper took a seat in the back, away from everyone else. He didn't know if it was just paranoia, but he swore he could feel eyes watching him.

He waited in silence for five minutes, just watching the other new kids talk among themselves. Most had already made friends – those that hadn't still tried to have a conversation with the kid next to them. Only one other boy wasn't getting involved with his peers – an African-American child, short haired, head buried in a book. Cautiously, Dipper waved to the boy – he was pointedly ignored.

Dipper found that he was feeling very lonely.

Eventually, the door flew open and a balding, middle-aged man ran into the room. He was slightly portly and had a bushy greyish-brown moustache. Blue eyes peered out from behind horn-rimmed glasses. He wore a red-and-black striped tie and blue shirt under a green sweater. He couldn't have looked more like a teacher if he tried.

The man ran onto the stage, stopping in front of the microphone. He made a show of catching his breath, and got a few chuckles for his trouble.

"Sorry I'm late, children," said the man, "Traffic. Anyway, without further ado, my name is Principal Gordon Lonnighan. I'm your new lord and master."

There was a very long silence. Dipper raised an eyebrow.

"No, they never laugh at that one," muttered Lonnighan, "In any case, I would like to cordially welcome you to Shell Heights Middle School! I'm sure we'll get to know each other very well."

He waved an arm across the room.

"Before me," he declared, "I can see the next generation. I can see workers of all shapes and sizes; builders, engineers, technicians, lumberjacks and handymen..."

Dipper perked up at the last two choices. They seemed out of place to him – who in Southern California was going to be a lumberjack? And who strived to be a handyman?

"...yes, you will be the artisans of the modern world," said Lonnighan, "And a select few of you may even go beyond. You may become like me – independent men, assured in their success through their own grit and determination."

Dipper got the impression that Lonnighan was a bit old fashioned and rather fond of himself.

"So, without further ado, let's get you off to your classes," finished Lonnighan, "Your forum teachers will pass you schedules when you arrive. Sixth Grade, your forum teacher will be Ms. Edwards – that'll be Anson, George...Eduard, Jane..."

Dipper sat up in his seat, gazing up at the ceiling, absently following the patterns in the tiling with his eyes. Lonnighan's voice faded into the background as he thought to himself, finding himself comparing the open, colourful landscape of Gravity Falls to the comparatively grey and claustrophobic middle school. Why was everything so dull in this place? Would it kill them to brighten it up a little?

"Eighth grade, your forum teacher will be Mr. Vought," announced Lonnighan, "Only three new students in that class, that'll be Franklin, Louise, Hohenbecker, Edward and Pines, Dipper. Please make your way to Room G12 to meet your new class..."

Dipper climbed to his feet, noticing the other solitary boy do the same. He nervously waved to him – the boy shook his head and walked ahead.

"Yeah, nice to meet you too," muttered Dipper, walking out the door behind him.

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><p>The day was long and dull, and Dipper found himself desperate to leave by the time his last class rolled by.<p>

Mr. Daniel Vought was an old, bald man with a university degree and a superiority complex. He had a very refined and unemotional way of speaking, and his pale blue eyes had a slight air of contempt to them – whether it was to his students or to life in general, Dipper couldn't tell.

Vought had gone a bitter tirade during Forum about 'doing as one is told' before reading the roll. Dipper had discovered that his 'friend' from orientation was Edward 'Eddie' Hohenbecker, son of a army lieutenant (a 'GI brat', Vought had muttered in what he must have presumed to be an inaudible tone) who liked reading and didn't like being bothered by other people. Eddie was late of bases in Virginia, Idaho, Kentucky and even Okinawa – Dipper guessed that the constant moving had made the kid hesitant to form emotional attachments.

His first class was English, during which he remained with Vought (much to the regret of both parties involved.) Then came recess, after which was Math, which was headed by a middle-aged, grey-skinned woman named Ms. Riley who didn't seem to care much about the subject or indeed anything at all. Then it was lunch, which Dipper spend sitting in a corner reading a book. The day ended with Science, headed by an affable man in a tweed jacket named Mr. Johnson who had absolutely no idea how to control a class of thirteen-year-olds.

The day felt incredibly long and boring, and Dipper was very glad when it was over. He walked straight to his locker (locker no. 618), intending to grab everything and head straight home.

He reached the locker and fiddled with the lock, muttering to himself.

"Was school this boring _before_ I went to Gravity Falls?" he asked himself, "Or is it just _this_ school? Ugh, I wish something exciting would happen."

He opened the locker.

Bill Cipher was sitting inside, reclining against the metal wall. He glanced over to Dipper and waved lazily.

"'Sup, Pine Tree?"

Dipper screamed and slammed the locker shut.

The boy next to him – a tallish individual with a chequered blue shirt and messy blonde hair – leaned over to him, an eyebrow raised.

"There a spider in there, brah?" he asked, "'Cause if it is, I want it. I'm trying to find a redback for my collection..."

"Didn't you see him?!" exclaimed Dipper, "The triangle! Look, he's right..."

He opened the locker again, finding nothing but his bag and a couple of schoolbooks.

"...wh-what?" stammered Dipper, "But...but he was right there!"

"You're weird, brah," said the other boy, shaking his head, "Really weird."

He walked away, whispering to himself about spiders. Dipper watched him go.

"But...I swear, he was..." he tried to explain, his voice feeble.

He sighed.

"Of course Bill wasn't there," sighed Dipper, "You just want him to be, don't you Dipper?"

He grabbed his bag and headed for the door, his head bowed.

The weather outside had cleared enough for Dipper to walk home, the late afternoon sun peaking out behind grey clouds and causing the roads and pavements to shine faintly. It did nothing to cheer Dipper up as he walked down the road – instead, the sun just reminded him of what he missed.

All day, he had found himself pining for the old, somewhat mouldy Mystery Shack attic; for the gift shop and all the tourists with more money than sense; for the quiet of the woods and the expanse of the night sky; for the handyman who was willing to follow him and his sister on insane adventures; for the long shifts in the gift shop rendered bearable by the companionship of his best friend.

He had expected disappointment when he returned to Piedmont, but he'd never expected to miss Gravity Falls quite so much. And yet he did. He missed Stan, he missed Wendy, he missed Soos, he even missed that goat that kept trying to eat his stuff.

"Come on, Dipper," he sighed to himself, "Only nine months until you can go back."

If the days went as quickly as this one, nine months was going to be a very long time.

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><p>IPMV SCRL BCGK PSRITZ XKQB TKPDMWK TNEAA<p> 


	3. Chapter II: Daydreams

And now here's Bill again. :)

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**supersexyghotnew95:** What's that you say? Keep messing with Dipper? Alrighty then! [/Bill] Thanks for reading!

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><p><strong>Chapter II: Daydreams<strong>

His name was Harold Lonnighan, 'Harry' to his friends, 'sir' to his victims and 'Harry Potter' to those who possessed a death wish. He was the principal's only son, and he was the defacto main authority in the hallways of Shell Heights.

Dipper had first seen Harry on the second day of term, when he had ambled casually into History class twenty minutes late. The teacher – Vought again – had passed him a weary look of disappointment that the the boy had ignored.

The first thing Dipper learned about Harry Lonnighan was that he was tall, lanky and bull-faced, with jelled black hair and his father's eyes. He wore a red jacket with 'SHELL HEIGHTS – 1' written on the back, and he seemed to be constantly sneering.

Harry planted himself at the back of the class, pulled out a phone and remained on it for the rest of the lesson. He ignored Vought, he got into arguments with other kids and he did basically no work. Dipper didn't pay him much attention – he wasn't doing anything that really set him apart from the class, although Dipper did notice that Vought seemed to be hesitant to belittle Harry as much as he did the rest of the class.

The second thing Dipper learned about Harry Lonnighan was that Harry Lonnighan did not like Dipper Pines.

Dipper didn't know what he'd done to earn Harry's antipathy – perhaps it was just that he was a bit different. But nonetheless, things when wrong for Dipper when he was around Harry. Pens went missing. Spitballs were shot at him. He was shoved in the hallway. All standard fare, and Dipper didn't put much stock in them.

After Thursday, however, the rumours started to be spread.

They were minor at first – Chuck (the spider guy) claimed Harry had seen Dipper spying on the girl's locker room. It was unverifiable, so Dipper escaped detention for it, but any chance of making friends with the school's female population was ruined. Dipper didn't really mind. He'd given up trying to make friends.

But then it got worse. There came rumours that Dipper was crazy. That he'd been in an asylum. That he had learning disabilities. That he made out with his sister. That his parents had sent him away last summer to get rid of him.

They were utterly false (the fourth one especially), but they spread like plague. By Tuesday, Dipper found he was the butt of Shell Heights' jokes, a social pariah. He was hounded by teasing and insults in the corridors. Dipper had wondered last week if there was anything worse than crushing boredom – now he knew that there was.

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><p>It was Wednesday, the twelfth of September, when Dipper next saw Bill.<p>

He was sitting in the corner of the lunchrom where nobody else ever went (some called it the Corner of Shame), staring at the grey slop he had been given for lunch and wondering if it was fit for human consumption. He eventually decided it wasn't and pushed it away, leaning down to search his bag for the Journal.

When he looked up again, he found himself looking right at the flat, triangular form of Bill Cipher.

"Hey, you miss me, Pine Tree?"

Dipper jumped.

"B-Bill?" exclaimed Dipper, "You mean…you mean I wasn't seeing things?!"

"Sure you are, that's what your eyes are for!" replied Bill, "So, how are things? Ya gone crazy yet? I mean, _I'd_ go crazy in this place…if I wasn't crazy already…"

"What do you even want, Bill?" demanded Dipper, "I left Gravity Falls! I'm not your problem anymore…"

"You're always my problem, kid," said Bill, "And you've got something of mine, Pine Tree. I want it back."

Dipper looked down at the Journal in his hands.

"No, not _that!_" exclaimed Bill, "Although if ya wanna give me that, that's fine too!"

He hovered onto the table, reclining lazily on it and inspecting his non-existent nails.

"Ya know the Author, right?" asked Bill, "Y'know, six fingers? Word on the street says that he left a last testament to our mutual friend Fiddleford McGucket. It says _he_ gave it to _you_."

"What?" exclaimed Dipper, "But…but I never got any letter from McGucket! I mean, by the time we left Gravity Falls, he still didn't remember who the Author even was!"

Bill raised off the table, turning red. His eye widened.

"_Don't lie to me, Pine Tree,_" he snarled.

"I-I seriously don't have it!" shouted Dipper, "I don't even know what you're talking about!"

Bill returned to his normal form and crossed his arms.

"Alright, kid, we'll play it your way," he said, "You're gonna go back to Gravity Falls and give me my letter, or I'm gonna make your life a waking nightmare. What's it gonna be, kid?"

"I don't have it, Bill!" snapped Dipper.

Bill narrowed his eye.

"Very well," he growled, "Your way it is."

He snapped his fingers.

There was a bang, and Dipper found himself standing in pitch darkness, buffeted by strong wind. He could see a teal light in the distance – voices were shouting.

_"It's not stable! It-it's gonna fail, we have to shut it off!"_ a familiar voice shouted.

"M-McGucket?" stammered Dipper, struggling towards the light.

_"We are not turning back, Fiddleford!_" another voice growled, _"Full power! Full power, now!"_

Dipper felt like he knew the voice, but he couldn't tell from where. As he edged closer to the light, he could make out three silhouettes against the glare – one was unmistakably that of a young McGucket, but Dipper couldn't quite tell who the other two were.

_"I can't! If this thing goes, we're looking at the end of the world!"_

_"Damn the consequences, you'll do what I tell you, McGucket! _Turn! Up! The power!_"_

_"But…but reality could collapse in on itself! This is what Bill wants! Stanley, back me up!_" urged McGucket.

"Stanley?" repeated Dipper, confused.

_"He's right. We can't do this, it's too dangerous. Fiddleford, turn it off."_

_"No!"_

One of the figures leapt towards McGucket, grabbing some kind of large, boxy remote from him and holding it towards the light. Dipper tried to edge closer to them, but the wind was far too strong.

_"Full power! We're gonna do this, Stanley!"_

_"Listen to yourself! You're _obsessed!_ You need to get a hold of yourself!_" cried Stanley.

_"Obsessed _nothing, _Stanley! This is gonna work!"_ thundered the third figure, _"And when it does, Bill's power will be ours!"_

_"My…my god, that's not what we started this project for!"_ exclaimed Stanley, _"Listen to yourself! If you keep following this path, it'll destroy you! I can't let you do that to yourself!"_

_"I'll do whatever I want!"_ spat the third voice, _"With or without you!_"

He held up the remote and pulled a lever upwards. The teal light flashed, expanding and becoming far too bright for Dipper to keep looking at it. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He heard a scream.

_"Stan-Stanley, no!"_ McGucket cried, _"For the love of god, sir, you have to shut it off!"_

_"No…no, not until we see this through! We need…"_

_"It's pulling him in, we have to…"_

There was a loud bang, and Dipper felt himself falling. He screamed - then there was a sting of pain as he landed on a hard surface.

"Mr. Pines."

Slowly, Dipper opened his eyes, finding himself back in the lunchroom. Mr. Vought was leaning over him, arms crossed – some of the other kids were looking at them, as if they had come across a crime scene.

"…Mr. Vought?" groaned Dipper, "Wh-what happened?"

Vought's eyes narrowed.

"Principal's office," he snapped, "_Now._"

* * *

><p>"I'd never have pegged you as a destructive influence, Mr. Pines."<p>

Dipper sat in front of Principal Lonnighan's death, watching the balding principal pace across his office.

"You seemed quiet when I first saw you, ordinary," said Lonnighan, "But to hear that you had a _meltdown_ in the middle of lunch…that's disturbing."

"I don't know what happened, Principal Lonnighan, I just…"

"Please, Mr. Pines, call me 'sir', it's befitting to my authority," asked Lonnighan.

He sat down, shaking his head.

"Mr. Pines, let me show you a little theory of mine," he said, "Imagine society is a pyramid…"

He drew an imaginary triangle on the desk with his fingers.

"So on the top of this pyramid is me, the principal, and underneath me…" Lonnighan began to explain.

_"…I don't care if it's dangerous. I don't care how long it takes. I'm gonna pull this off…and nobody's gonna get in my way._"

Dipper perked up, hearing the voice of Grunkle Stan echo through the room.

He glanced over to the window. The grey sky outside rippled, turning into the Mystery Shack gift shop. Stan was backed against a wall, two men in black – Powers and Trigger, wasn't it? – advancing on him.

_"Give it up, Mr. Pines,_" snapped Powers, _"We know these power surges are coming from this building._"

"_I'm not saying anything without a warrant,_" snapped Stan, "_I know my rights. I've been told 'em plenty of times._"

"_This is about national security, Mr. Pines_," growled Powers, "_We don't need a warrant. Trigger, find the cashier. We're gonna be running quest-_"

"Mr. Pines?" said Lonnighan.

Dipper jumped. Lonnighan was looking him straight in the eye, his finger still pointing at this desk.

"Did you get what I said?" demanded Lonnighan.

"You mean the…uh…feudalism thing?" replied Dipper.

Lonnighan smirked.

"Most kids don't even know what this is," he said, "You're smart, Mr. Pines, I like that. What I'm saying, Mr. Pines, is that power goes down – which means my power, and my help, can trickle down to you."

He offered Dipper his hand.

"Anything you need to say, you can say to me," he offered, "You don't need to feel alone."

Dipper looked into Lonnighan's eyes. Underneath his middle-class demeanour, Dipper found what he thought was a dark, cruel abyss in his eyes, and it unsettled him deeply.

"I-I'm not sure I feel comfortable with-with that, sir," he stammered.

Lonnighan furrowed his brow.

"Very well, Mr. Pines," he nodded, "You don't need to tell me. But if you ever need to…keep me in mind."

He stood up, placing his hands behind his back and turning to the window.

"The nurse wants me to have you escorted home, Mr. Pines," he said, "I can't leave right now, but don't worry…"

The door opened. Dipper gulped as Harry Lonnighan walked in.

"…my son volunteered," continued Lonnighan, "He's a good kid, you'll like him. We'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Pines."

Harry grabbed the back of Dipper's vest and headed for the door. Dipper squirmed, but the lanky boy ignored him.

"Don't worry, dad!" exclaimed Harry, "Me and Dip here are gonna have ourselves some fun, ain't we Dip?"

* * *

><p>There was a tremendous crash as Dipper was hurled into the dumpster outside the school. His vision blurry, he tried to climb out, only to find a hand lifting him by the collar.<p>

"So," sneered Harry, "How you finding Shell Heights, Pines?"

"What have you even got against me?" demanded Dipper, "I've never even talked to you!"

"You're _different_, Pines, you're _weird_, and that makes you an easy target," shrugged Harry, "Besides, it's not like anybody likes you or anything."

He dropped Dipper back into the dumpster.

"See you tomorrow, Pines," said Harry, slamming the dumpster shut.

Dipper sat in the darkness for a minute, just to make sure the bully was gone, before climbing out of the dumpster and limping towards home.

By the time he reached his front door, he had decided that this was categorically the worst day of school he'd ever had.

He ambled into the family room, planting himself on the couch next to his mother, who was watching TV. She immediately perked up at his entry.

"Oh, Dipper!" she said brightly, "We got a letter from Grunkle Stan this morning!"

"A letter?" quizzed Dipper, "You mean…why wouldn't he send an email?"

His mother shrugged and handed him an envelope.

"Shouldn't we wait for Mabel?" asked Dipper, "I mean…"

"She's at a sleepover," replied his mother, "With that new friend of hers, uh, what's her name…why don't you bring any friends over, Dipper?"

"I…I'd prefer not to," sighed Dipper.

"Well, if you ever want to, our door is open," shrugged his mother, getting up and walking away.

He opened the envelope and unfolded the letter.

_To Dipper and Mabel,_

_Soos has been bugging me to write for a week now, so I may as well get this done. Wendy said _I_ should send an e_m_ail but I am not forking out for a computer just to stay in contact. You can live with paper. It's health_i_er or something, I don't know._

_You will be happy to know I have not eaten Waddles, despite how tasty he looks._

_Busine_ss_ has slowed down a little now that summer's done, but we still get enough suckers with too much money to keep us going. Since Wendy can only work weekends now that high school's started up again I have had to teach Soos to operate the register. It's not working, please send a manual._

_I gotta admit, it's felt prett_y_ quiet since you left. Not that I'm upset or anything but (DUDE HE TOTALLY IS) Soos is now banned from my _o_ffice until I finish writing this._

_So yeah, not much to write about. Quiet, a lot browner then it _u_sed to be, but I'm still making money, so I'm fine._

_Mabel; Candy and Grenda say 'hi' and asked me to send you their emails. Soos says that McGucket still seems to be getting better, whatever the heck that's supposed to mean. Wendy and Soos put together a 'care package' for you – if they put Smile Dip in there I am not taking responsibility for it._

_See you next June,_

_Grunkle Stan (and Soos and Wendy)_

Dipper looked up from the letter and smiled.

"Well, maybe today wasn't completely awful," he muttered to himself.

He got up, heading for the stairs to his room. He never noticed the small, triangular shadow lurking on the wall nearby.

* * *

><p>DNNP PJ WB PPYC VYFIPXP<p>

* * *

><p>AN: Thought I'd drop a little hint on these codes - check the spelling (although I use British English, so watch for 'u's.)<p> 


	4. Chapter III: Letter

I'm going to have to start with an apology. Due to a desire to shorten my author's notes, I will no longer be replying to reviews at the start of my chapters. I will continue to reply to reviews over the private message system. I apologize for the change.

EDIT: I have decided to continue answering guest reviews here out of fairness. So, review replies;

**Guest: **Phew! Glad to see my editing is paying off! Thanks for reading!

**Tad:** Eh, I'm sure it's just a coincidence. :) Yep, I'm using Vingenere on all chapters except the prologue. ;) Thanks for reviewing!

**I'm : **He can set up the Hotel Billifornia! :D Thanks for the review!

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><p><strong>Chapter III: Letter<strong>

Thursday was no better than Wednesday had been.

Word of Dipper's meltdown had spread, and the rest of the student body were giving him a wide berth. This suited Dipper just fine, but he could still hear them whispering about him behind his back. 'The kid's a maniac,' they would say, 'They found him screaming at his lunch yesterday. _Freak._'

Whoever came up with the term 'words can never hurt me' was either an idiot or a liar, Dipper thought.

The visions were harder to deal with. Dipper didn't have anything on the level of the vivid waking dream he'd had at lunch yesterday, but he was assaulted by voices and images throughout the day. He tried not to react to them, but it was very hard to concentrate on his work when he could hear a young McGucket screaming in his ear about portals and power levels.

As if to ice the cake of a terrible day, Harry had ambushed Dipper on his way out of school – this time he was backed up by two entirely interchangeable slabs of muscle he called Gordy and Ned. They slammed him into a shopping trolley, brought him to the crest of a hill and pushed it down.

After the inevitable (and inevitably painful) trolley crash, Dipper dragged himself home, taking himself up to his room and laying on his bed, trying to forget his awful day.

He didn't know quite how long he'd been there, but the shadows were getting long by the time his door opened. He sat up to find Mabel poking her head in.

"You alright, bro-bro?" she asked, concerned.

"I'm fine," muttered Dipper, "Just let me lie down."

Mabel walked into the room, turning on the light. Dipper cringed at the glare, sitting up and covering his eyes.

"Mabel! Why did you..."

"You can't hide your feelings from me, Dipper," replied Mabel, planting herself on the bed next to Dipper, "We're connected! Like Siamese Twins!"

"We're not Siamese Twins," grunted Dipper, "I don't think you know what they are."

"Tell me what's going on," said Mabel, "I mean, every time you come back from school, you're all like..."

She shrugged and made a farting noise.

"...you're flat!" she exclaimed, "This isn't like you!"

Dipper sighed.

"I just...I'm just feeling a bit...I dunno, homesick?" quizzed Dipper, "Is that possible? I mean, we _are_ home, aren't we?"

"You miss Gravity Falls," nodded Mabel, understandingly.

"Yeah," said Dipper, "And...and school's kinda not working at the moment, and..."

He looked over to Mabel, who was waiting expectantly for what he was about to say. He had been about to bring up Bill, but something was stopping him. Unlike him, Mabel was actually _happy_ to be back in Piedmont, and bringing her into the whole Bill situation would just ruin it for her.

He swallowed down the truth and answered.

"...the other kids are jerks," he finished.

Mabel put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Dipper," she reassured, "You'll always have me if you need someone to talk to. Even if it is horribly embarrassing – in fact, _especially_ if it's embarrassing! Your insecurities are so adorable..."

"I'm _not_ adorable," insisted Dipper, but he smiled despite himself.

"Come on, bro," said Mabel, putting an arm around his shoulder, "What do you say we open that care package?"

"I'd like that," nodded Dipper, "I'd like that a lot."

* * *

><p>The care package was small, but Dipper didn't mind. It contained a few things that one couldn't get in Piedmont (a couple of cans of the town's ubiquitous 'Pitt Cola', a few small items from the Mystery Shack gift shop and, much to Stan's presumed horror, a couple of packets of Smile Dip), and really, it was the thought that counted.<p>

Mabel had gone upstairs to her room with the intention of devouring the entire stock of Smile Dip in one sitting, leaving Dipper alone at the kitchen table. He dug through the bottom of the package – his hand brushed a soft parcel and a large envelope.

Dipper pulled out the parcel first. It was wrapped in brown paper, and he couldn't tell what it was from the shape. He ripped it open – it was a blue-and-white hat, identical to his own. A post-it note was attached to the side.

_Took it off the rack just in case you needed a spare. Don't tell Stan I sent it. – Wendy._

Dipper smiled at the gesture, peeling the note off the hat and sticking it in one of his vest pockets.

He turned to the envelope. It was brown and dog-eared, as if it had been pulled out of the dump. The words 'Dipper and Mabel' were written in an almost illegible sprawl on the front.

"McGucket?" mused Dipper.

He opened the envelope, wincing a little at the foul smell of the paper. Inside, he found a small notebook that had seen better days and a short note.

_Agust 29 2012_

_Dipr n Mabel_

_I found this wile I was lookin fer terlet papr an I fink it was the authers._

_Asked Soos ta send it. Didn't show him – figered u mite wanna look first._

_Ur friend_

_Fiddleford_

Dipper's eyes widened and he grabbed the notebook. He opened it to the first page.

_July 5 1982._

_McGucket,_

_Stanley was right. The path I follow has become too dangerous. This has to end. I am shutting down the portal, but I do not expect Bill to accept that lightly. I need the help of the Blind Eye._

_I am separating the journals – with any luck, they will never be united again. It is not enough, however, as Bill can and will enter my mind to find their location. It pains me to write this, but it is time to forget._

_Enclosed is my last testament, the truth of things to come if we had continued this portal madness. Pray that it is never needed._

_Yours,_

_Ztdetbyd_

* * *

><p><em>Ztdetbyd.<em>

The more Dipper studied the notebook, the more confused it made him.

The whole thing was written in code, and the Author hadn't thought to be helpful enough to add a key. There were complex mathematical equations in the margins and sketches of geometric shapes and what looked like ancient runes.

Whatever it was, it was the key to the Author's identity. Dipper had to solve it.

That is how he ended up sitting at a table in the Shell Heights library, comparing the notebook with a large book on encryption and ciphers. He was attempting to decipher the code onto lined notepaper, but he was getting nowhere fast.

"You're in my spot, Pines."

Dipper looked up. Eddie Hohenbecker was standing over him, his arms crossed.

"But...since when do you have a spot?" demanded Dipper, "This is a public library!"

"You have the Corner of Shame in the lunchroom, I have..." began Eddie.

He glanced over to the encryption book.

"...are you decoding something?" he asked.

"Uh...no! Yes! Uh..." Dipper tried to hide the notebook under his arms.

"My dad's a cryptanalyst for the Army," said Eddie, "I'll give you this if you promise to go away."

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small, white booklet entitled _Guide to Decryption_.

Dipper took the small booklet, skimming through it. It was full of methods and instructions on how to decode messages.

"...wow...uh...thanks Eddie!" exclaimed Dipper, "This is really..."

"Uh-huh," grunted Eddie, "Now _get._"

* * *

><p>Dipper powered onwards with his decoding efforts through the weekend. Some codes were simple – they were Atbash or simple Caesarion shifts. Others were harder, but Dipper managed them with a bit of research and a touch of luck. Occasionally Mabel would help him, but she found code-breaking dull and would usually space out. By Sunday, she'd decided to leave it to Dipper, focusing on spending time with her friends.<p>

Dipper was a little put out by Mabel's declining interest in his project, but he understood. Besides, the more he revealed from the testament, the more worried he got.

The noteook was a series of complicated design notes for a machine, constantly referred to as a portal. It mentioned McGucket regularly, as well as the mysterious 'Stanley' Dipper had seen in his vision. There were scrawled messages about harnessing Bill's power, crossed out with red ink (at least Dipper hoped it was red ink).

Towards the end, the notebook's contents changed. Now they were more like a prediction of the future. The Author spoke of a tremendous explosion that would shake the very Earth, which would be followed by volcanoes and earthquakes and all manner of doom. A sketch showed the Planet Earth, it's surface covered in cracks and what looked like magma – a familiar triangular figure floated above it, as if watching a particularly amusing show. These descriptions were accompanied by more scrawled, panicked messages, proclaiming that the world would be doomed 'should the project be continued.'

All the while, Dipper continued to hear voices. He heard those of McGucket and Stanley regularly, but occasionally they'd be joined by the third voice – Dipper rationalised him as the Author. They'd always be arguing about what to do with the portal – the Author would always shout down his companions and declare that nothing would go wrong.

Clearly, at some point between the incident in Dipper's vision and the writing of the Author's last testament, something had happened to change his mind...but what was it?

By Sunday evening, after a weekend of late nights and early rises, Dipper had decoded just about everything except the Author's name. That last bit of writing was fiendish – it refused to allow itself to be revealed, even after Dipper had pulled every trick in the codebook.

Dipper sat on the couch, holding a writing pad and writing every possible combination of eight-letter words he could think of. His father sat next to him, doing the crossword in the Sunday paper.

"Hey, dad, you're good with numbers," said Dipper, "How many possible combinations are there for an eight-letter word?"

"Hmm," mused his father, "Twenty-six times twenty six times...hold on..."

He brought out his phone and tapped on it for a few seconds.

"...about two-hundred and nine billion," replied his father.

"Oh," muttered Dipper.

"Why'd you wanna now, Dip?" asked his father.

"It's uh...it's homework," shrugged Dipper.

His father nodded and returned to his crossword.

"Simon!"

Dipper and his father looked up. His mother was standing in the doorway, Mabel behind her.

"I'm taking Mabel to a sleepover," she explained, "Don't burn the house down."

"Whatever you say, Diane," nodded his father.

His mother rolled her eyes and turned to the door.

Dipper was struck with a sudden desire to stop Mabel, to talk to her about what was going on, to tell her about Bill...

"See you later, Broseph!"

The door slammed. So much for that.

Dipper sighed and headed for the stairs.

"School not doing well for you, Dipper?"

He froze. His dad had put down the newspaper. He was watching him, arms crossed.

"You know," his father continued, "I always find that talking to a friend helps in times like these. You know the feel?"

"My only friend just walked out the door, dad," muttered Dipper.

"Dipper, we have internet, you know," reminded his father, "It's this magical new thing, lets you talk to people over long distances, you get what I'm saying?"

Dipper tilted his head.

"I...think I'm getting you," he nodded.

"Go on, I'll be down here," smiled his father, "Get this funk of your chest."

Dipper smiled back and headed up the stairs. He never noticed that the smile didn't quite meet his father's eyes.

* * *

><p>Dipper sat in front of his computer, looking into an old webcam he'd fished out from his drawer. The computer was emitting a ringing sound, and he rapped his fingers on the desk as he waited for an answer.<p>

The ringing stopped, and a somewhat pixelated image of a teenage, red-haired girl appeared on the monitor, apparently fiddling with something under her desk.

"_That you, Tambry? Look, I told you..._"

"Hey, uh, Wendy," said Dipper, somewhat awkwardly.

Wendy looked up, her eyes widening.

"_Dipper?!_" she exclaimed, "_Heh, I knew you guys would call me first! Aw yeah, Soos owes me twenty..._"

She trailed off, narrowing her eyes.

"_Wait a minute, where's Mabel? And why do you look so...flat?_"

"Mabel's fine, she's at a friend's place," replied Dipper, somewhat tiredly, "And I'm just...eighth grade sucks."

"_Yeah, tell me about it, man,_" nodded Wendy, sympathetically, "_Something tells me it's a bit more then that though, isn't it?_"

Dipper sighed heavily.

"I think my life is falling apart," he muttered, "That-that could be something that's happening. I don't know where to start..."

"_How about the beginning?_" suggested Wendy.

"It's...kinda farfetched," admitted Dipper.

"_Dip, last summer I got haunted by ghosts, helped you uncover a secret society and fought myself,_" reminded Wendy, "_At this point, _nothing_ is farfetched._"

"Alright then..."

He told her everything. He told her about Bill, the vision, the notebook, the codes and how he couldn't work out the Author's name and even Harry Lonnighan and his loneliness at school. She didn't interrupt him, and Dipper hoped deeply that she'd believe what he was saying.

"_So Bill followed you home,_" said Wendy when he had finished, "_That sounds like him._"

"Yeah, and he wants me to come back to Gravity Falls and give him the Author's letter...notebook...whatever it is," replied Dipper, "And because of all the visions he's giving me, all the other kids think I'm crazy!"

"_That's the notebook with the world ending portal, right?_" asked Wendy, "_I'm pretty sure we don't want Bill to get his hands on that..._"

"Then what am I supposed to do, go nuts?" exclaimed Dipper, clutching his hair.

"_Maybe you can hide it?_" suggested Wendy, "_I mean, he seems to need you to physically give it to him – you can't do that if you don't have it._"

"Where do I hide something like this?" quizzed Dipper, "It's not like I can just bury it in the desert or something..."

He scratched his head.

"I'll think of something," he decided, "What about the Author? Any ideas on breaking the code?"

"_Nope, I'm stumped, dude,_" shrugged Wendy, "_Why don't you ask that guy who's dad works for the Army?_"

"Because we don't like each other," replied Dipper, "I dunno, I could try, I guess."

He sighed again.

"_You're sighing again, Dipper._"

"Yeah, I know," said Dipper, sadly.

Wendy gave him a sympathetic smile.

"_Don't let those other kids get to you,_" she said, "_They're just a bunch of jerks. Probably jealous of you for being smarter than them, actually. And if that Harry guy comes near you again, tell me._"

"How would that help?" asked Dipper.

"_I'd come over and kick his butt, that's how it'd help!_" replied Wendy, crossing her arms.

Dipper chuckled.

"_Seriously, though, if you ever need to talk, I'm here,_" assured Wendy, "_I care about you, Dip – we all do._"

"Thanks Wendy, that means a lot," said Dipper, offering a small smile.

"_Don't mention it, Dipper,_" replied Wendy, "_I should probably go before dad burns down the kitchen again._"

There was a loud cry from the background.

"_WHY DOES THIS THING NOT WORK!_"

"_...aaaaand he's punching the microwave,_" sighed Wendy, "_I'll talk to you later, Dipper. Hang in there, it'll get better._"

"Yeah, I can only hope," nodded Dipper, "See you later, Wendy."

"_Later, Dip._"

The screen went black.

Dipper went to bed that night feeling just a little happier about the world, as if talking about his problems had lifted a weight off his shoulder.

It would all be back tomorrow, because his world was about to go to hell.

* * *

><p>SOMLFF YXBKL FFGH. PNHAIS YBYJG MLF HFEGV.<p>

* * *

><p>AN: Well, at least it's not <em>all <em>bad for Dipper at the moment, right?


	5. Chapter IV: Portal

In which Dipper has a very bad day.

Guest review replies;

**Guest (1):** Dag nabbit, you've worked out my ironic choice in name! :D Thanks for reading!

**Tazmanian Devil:** Thanks mate, that means a lot, especially given that this is my first GF fic. :) Thanks very much!

**Guest (2):** That would be quite a pickle indeed. Thanks for reviewing!

**Zimlover255:** With a thesaurus and a bit of dumb luck. :P Thanks for the review!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter IV: Portal<strong>

The day began as well as any Monday could.

Dipper was awakened by his mother at seven thirty. He showered, ate a hasty breakfast and began to walk to school. It was a brisk day, and he immediately regretted not bringing a jacket. The sky was an ominous grey, and dead leaves were blown around his feet by the cold wind.

Dipper met Harry on the way to class. The bully had given him his now customary shove into the lockers but had otherwise paid him little notice. That seemed to be the theme of the day – there were still whispers, but the other kids seemed content to leave him alone for the time being.

All this changed that afternoon.

"Mr. Johnson is ill, I will be substituting for him."

The science class, Dipper included, groaned as Mr. Vought walked into the room, stopping in front of the white board and crossing his arms.

"Yes, I hate this just as much as you do," muttered Vought, "Alright, open your books to page seven hundred and ninety four..."

Dipper opened the textbook, but not to actually do his work. He slipped the notebook over the book (where Vought couldn't see it) and went back to trying to work out the code.

"Alright, class, can anybody tell me what the Higgs Boson is?" demanded Vought.

Chuck slowly raised his hand.

"Isn't that something about that big machine doodad that's gonna end the world?" he asked.

The class laughed. Vought rolled his eyes.

"Can somebody _name_ this _doodad_?" he spat, sending Chuck a contemptuous glare.

Eddie raised his hand.

"The Large Hadron Collider, sir," he said.

"Correct, Mr. Hohenbecker," nodded Vought, "The Large Hadron Collider. Write that down, the _Large...Hadron...Collider..._"

_Hadron_.

The word echoed in Dipper's mind. He knew he'd heard it before, but _where?_

Then it hit him.

_"__My name is Fiddleford Hadron McGucket..."_

Dipper pulled out the codebook, flipping it over to the section on _Vigenere _code. He pulled a scrap of paper out of his bag and began to decode.

"Z...that becomes S...T..._it can't be_..." he whispered.

His face paled as he decoded the rest of the word, confirming his suspicions.

_STANFORD._

Grunkle Stan.

But that didn't make any sense, Dipper thought. Stan didn't have six fingers, for a start. And if he _had_ written the journals, wouldn't he have mentioned it to him when Dipper showed him Journal #3?

Unless...

_'__I need the help of the Blind Eye.'_

...unless the Society of the Blind Eye had intervened and wiped his memories.

_'__The path I follow has become too dangerous...'_

_"__...I don't care if it's dangerous. I don't care how long it takes..."_

Of course! Stan had realised he was going too far! That's why he had split the journals, that's why he had wiped his memory of them! It all made sense now. That was why Dipper had recognised the third voice – _it was a younger Stan!_

But it still didn't explain the other vision – the one from the present. Why did Bill show him that? What reason could he possibly have to...

Something clicked in Dipper's mind.

_"__We know these power surges are coming from this building._"

"_I'm not saying anything without a warrant..._"

_'__It pains me to write this, but it is time to forget.'_

_"__I'm gonna pull this off...and nobody's gonna get in my way._"

Dipper's eyes widened as he realised what the visions meant.

"He doesn't know the dangers," he realised, "_He's rebuilding the portal!_"

"And the last horse crosses the finish line!"

The class seemed to turn a monochrome grey as Bill Cipher appeared in front of him, arms stretched.

"Seriously, Pine Tree, it took you a whole weekend to work that out?" he exclaimed, "Ha, and you call yourself a mystery solver!"

"Bill!" exclaimed Dipper.

"Mr. Pines!"

Bill moved out of the way, motioning to an angry Vought.

"I would appreciate it if you kept your inane mutterings_ quiet_," he sneered.

"But...but don't you see..." stammered Dipper.

"I said _quiet_, Mr. Pines!" shouted Vought.

"He can't see me, kid," said Bill, helpfully, "Only you can! So try not to react, or the other kids might think you're a little...I dunno...dangerously unhinged?"

Dipper clutched the sides of his desk and breathed in and out, closing his eyes.

"You can't make me go back, Bill," he whispered, "I'm not playing your games anymore."

"Aw, that's a shame, kid!" shrugged Bill, "What can I do to change your mind? Offer you money? Give you a lift? Ooh, I can give you a big box of staplers! I love those things! They hurt _real _good!"

"Shut up, Bill," Dipper hissed through gritted teeth.

Bill clicked his fingers.

"I got it!" he exclaimed, "I'm gonna show you the future – Dickens it up a bit, ya know?"

He put an arm around Dipper's shoulder.

"So, Pine Tree," he nodded, "Here's what will happen if you _don't_ come back to Gravity Falls..."

Bill placed his other hand on Dipper's head.

There was a flash of blinding light. When it cleared, he found himself standing in the gift shop at the Mystery Shack. His vision was slightly blurred and unfocused, but he could see Stan leaning against a wall and counting his money while Wendy leant over the counter, clearly bored out of her mind. Soos was nowhere to be seen.

"Bill, this isn't funny," grunted Dipper, "I know it's not real, take me back..."

There was a bang as the door was kicked open. Agents Powers and Trigger marched in, flashing their badges.

_"__Powers and Trigger, United States Government,"_ barked Powers, _"We want the truth, Mr. Pines._"

They marched towards Stan, Trigger slamming the door shut behind them.

_"__I-I don't know what you're talking about!"_ stammered Stan, nervously, _"Per-perhaps I could offer you gentlemen a free..."_

_"__Give it up, Mr. Pines,_" snapped Powers, _"We know these power surges are coming from this building._"

The world shimmered and the occupants of the room shifted their positions. Stan was now tied to a chair, Powers pacing in front of them. Trigger was holding a cuffed Wendy behind the counter, trying to stop her from struggling.

"Okay, that's _enough_, Bill," growled Dipper, "I know you're trying to manipulate me, and it's not..."

"Who says I'm lying, Pine Tree?" asked Bill, sliding into Dipper's sight from apparently nowhere, "Now shut up and watch."

_"__I want everything, Mr. Pines,"_ snapped Powers, _"I want names, dates, schedules, anything you have on these power surges."_

_"__I'm not saying anything,"_ growled Stan, _"Not until you show me a warrant."_

_"__You can make this easy on yourself,"_ said Powers, _"Tell us everything, and we will help you in any way we c..."_

There was a knock on the door.

_"__Postal service! We have a package from a...Dipper Pines!"_

"I never sent a package," whispered Dipper.

Powers scratched his chin and turned to Trigger.

_"__Trigger, get the door,"_ he barked, _"This could be important."_

_"__If you touch a _hair_ on Dipper or Mabel's heads, I swear I'll-"_ Stan began to shout.

Trigger opened the door. Two mailmen stood on the front step – neither was carrying a parcel. One pointed a short carbine rifle at Trigger's chest, the other patted a nightstick against his free hand.

_"__Hello, we represent Bill Cipher,"_ the nightstick man said, _"We understand you have a portal, Mr. Pines?"_

"Who the heck are they?" demanded Dipper.

"Cultists!" replied Bill, his tone jovial, "They worship me! Ain't that flattering, Pine Tree?"

The scene rippled again. Now Dipper was in a room he didn't recognise – it looked like a subterranean lab. Stan, Wendy and the cultists were standing in front of a massive portal, a strong wind blowing inward into a teal void. The gunman had his rifle pointed right at Wendy's back, while his leader had put his arm around a cuffed Stan's shoulder. There was no sign of the two government agents.

"You alright, kid?" asked Bill, "You're getting a bit pale there. Don't like my home entertainment?"

Dipper didn't reply.

_"__Some portal you got here, Stanford,"_ said the leader, sneering, _"I want you to know that Bill Cipher is very pleased with your efforts."_

_"__Uh...Stan?" _asked Wendy, gazing at the portal in awe, _"How long have you had this thing down here?"_

_"__Bill Cipher can suck it," _snarled Stan, _"The thing's not ready yet."_

_"__Looks plenty ready to me,"_ sniffed the gunman.

_"__Does it?"_ snapped Stan, _"You some kinda expert, huh? Can I see your degree in particle physics?"_

_"__Can I see _yours?" spat the gunman.

_"__Really? That's your best comeback?"_ scoffed Stan, _"That was just _amateur_."_

_"__Gentlemen, please,"_ said the leader, _"Stanford, we know you're lying. This machine is ready."_

_"__It's not ready!"_ shouted Stan, _"It hasn't even been tested!"_

The two cultists glanced at each other.

_"__Hasn't been tested, you say?"_ quizzed the leader, _"We can fix that."_

The gunman shoved Wendy forward.

There was a clap of thunder and a shout, and the teenager was lifted off the ground, her hat flying off her head. The portal turned blood red, and began to erupt with bolts of lightning.

"Wendy!" exclaimed Dipper.

"Can't hear ya, kid," shrugged Bill, looking over his fingers, "That's why it's called a vision."

_"__Looks pretty functional to me, Stanford,"_ sneered the leader.

_"__You son of a..."_ growled Stan.

_"__Language, Stanford, language,"_ chuckled the leader, pulling what looked like a tablet phone out of his pocket.

Wendy tried to struggle against the pull of the portal, but her attempts were fruitless. As her right arm approached the portal, it began to dissolve. It looked almost like she was turning into pixels, but not quite.

"Bill, stop, that's enough," growled Dipper.

"I can't stop this, Pine Tree," replied Bill, "Only you can!"

_"__Energy signals check out, the portal is fully set,"_ nodded the leader, _"We just need to check back in with-"_

With a metallic snap, Stan freed himself from his cuffs and socked the leader across the face, flooring him in a single punch. The gunman aimed his rifle, but Stan grabbed the barrel, twisted it out of his hands and threw it away. He turned to Wendy for a moment.

_"__What're you waiting for?! Run!"_ exclaimed Wendy.

It was too late. The leader had recovered, and he clobbered Stan across the back of the head with his nightstick, knocking the older man out.

"Grunkle Stan!" cried Dipper.

_"__Ugh...come on, let's report back," _grunted the leader, rubbing his eye.

_"__What about the girl?"_ asked the gunman.

_"__Forget her, she's as good as gone now,"_ shrugged the leader, _"Help me with this guy, we'll throw him in with the Feds..."_

They pulled Stan off the ground and dragged him towards the elevator. Wendy reached out to them, shaking her fist as her body dissolved.

_"__Get back here, you cowards!"_ she shouted, _"I'm not done with you, I'm not..."_

Her face melted away and she was gone.

"Grunkle Stan...Wendy...no," stammered Dipper, his hands clutching something in front of him (he couldn't tell what), "What is this?"

"Science happened," shrugged Bill, "It was glorious. Your problem now, kid."

"This isn't real, this isn't happening," Dipper told himself, trying and failing to stop himself from shaking.

"It's not real _yet_, Pine Tree," said Bill, "You got a day until this scene goes down. So, whaddaya gonna do?"

"I can't...I don't know..."

"_Mr. Pines!_"

The vision faded in a flash as Dipper jumped to the sound of a wooden ruler slamming his desk. A red-faced Vought grabbed Dipper by the shirt, pulling him towards him. He closed his eyes. He could hear faint screaming in his head.

"We are trying to work!" thundered Vought, "I don't know what they taught you at your last school, but at Shell Heights we do _not_ tolerate troublemakers!"

"Mr. Vought, I think he's convulsing," Dipper heard Eddie say.

"_Stay out of this, Hohenbecker!_" bellowed Vought, "He is not _convulsing!_ He is _seeking attention_ and I will not let him get away with it! _Mr. Pines, open your eyes when I'm talking to you!_"

Dipper opened his eyes.

Vought paled, dropping Dipper back into his chair. He stepped backward.

"M-my god, Pines, _your eyes_," he stammered.

The room turned a dark shade of blue. Dipper saw a giant symbol of a pyramid form in the sky outside as the buildings across the road turned to fire.

"I-I have to leave," he said pathetically.

He ran for the door, tripping over his chair and stumbling into the coridor. He ran for his locker, his vision swimming. He felt sick.

"So, what's it's gonna be, kid?" asked Bill, appearing next to Dipper and following him along, "You got twenty-four hours before that happens in real life. If you get a bus tonight, you can be in Gravity Falls in time to stop it."

He shrugged as Dipper shoved through two students, mumbling an excuse. He felt the ground shaking, and an air-raid siren began to roar in his brain.

"Of course," continued Bill, "You could fail. You could end up stranded on the other side of that portal. You could even die. You willing to take that risk, Pine Tree?"

"It's not real, it's not real!" Dipper told himself, trying to ignore the tears beginning to fall from his eyes.

"Not real, huh?" said Bill, crossing his arms, "How do you know?"

Dipper reached his locker, fumbling with the lock. The ground shook like an earthquake, and it was hard to properly align the numbers. The bell rang, and he momentarily lost his concentration.

"Everything you've shown me is in my head," snarled Dipper, "I'm not falling for this, Bill! I'm not going back!"

He pulled off the lock and opened the door. A familiar trapper hat sat inside.

"Oh, come on!" thundered Dipper, pulling the hat out, "You're just trying to manipulate me now! I'm not falling for it!"

"Hey brah, havin' another episode?" asked Chuck, strolling by, "Nice hat, by the way."

Dipper's face went white as he stared at the hat in his hand. He began to shake violently.

"Still don't think Mackerel and Ice Bag are in trouble, kid?" quizzed Bill, "Are you willing to take that risk?"

"...oh my gosh, it's real," muttered Dipper.

He shook his head and grabbed his backpack, stuffing everything into it at break-neck speed.

"I have to go back!" exclaimed Dipper, "I have to warn them! I-I can't let this..."

He began to run, and almost immediately slammed into a hard object. He fell back onto his back.

Harry Lonnighan stood over him, arms crossed.

"Bad move, Pines," he sneered.

Behind him, the corridors began to crumble. None of the other students seemed to notice.

"Ha-Harry!" shouted Dipper, "I can't-I have to go, please, my-my family..."

Harry sneered and pulled Dipper up by his collar. There was a loud bang, and the building behind him was torn away.

Dipper's jaw dropped. Behind Harry, he could see the ruins of Piedmont underneath a swirling red vortex, rubble flying through the air. Distant mountains oozed with magma and there were massive fissures in the ground. Bill floated behind Harry, pointing at the devastation.

"That," he said, "Is your future, Pine Tree. You wanna do something about it? Go ahead and try! Anything to draw you back!"

Harry slammed Dipper into a closed locker, leaning in close to the boy. A fire ignited behind him – Dipper could feel the heat.

"Look," he snarled, "You're _crying_, Pines. Pathetic."

"Listen, I _need_ to get back to Gravity Falls!" exclaimed Dipper, near hysterically, "I-it's-you-I-_we're all gonna die!_"

"Oh, you're not going anywhere, Pines," sneered Harry, "In fact, I think you need a time out."

"But I have to go back!" screamed Dipper, "I have to..."

"It's where you belong, kid," said Bill, "And we miss you. Oh, we miss you so much..."

He turned into a black silhouette and vanished. The apocalyptic scene he'd created turned back into the regular, grey landscape of the Shell Heights corridors.

"Harry, please, _the world is going to end_," pleaded Dipper, "I have to..."

"You think you're important, Pines?" growled Harry, "Because you're not! You're just a pathetic, _weird_ loser who's never gonna fit in. You're a failure, Dipper Pines! If it weren't for your creepy sister, you'd have been eaten alive long ago!"

He shoved Dipper into his locker. Dipper tried to climb out, his eyes wide and nearly wild.

"No, please! Harry, don't..."

"Why don't you sit on it, Pines?" sneered Harry,

The locker door slammed into Dipper's face, and everything was silent.

* * *

><p>MWUA DFV EFLMO<p>

* * *

><p>AN: If you're wondering where Soos was - well, I have plans for him.<p> 


	6. Chapter V: Goodbye

Sorry this one took a bit longer - we've about reached where I've written up to.

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**Guest:** All of your questions will be addressed in time. ;) Thanks for reading!

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><p><strong>Chapter V: Goodbye<strong>

There was the crack of a pair of bolt-cutters, and the locker door opened. Dipper opened his eyes. He found himself looking out at the janitor, Eddie Hohenbecker, a very red-faced Principal Lonnighan and his father – the latter's expression was unreadable. The sun seemed to have gone down – the corridor was dark.

"That him?" asked the janitor.

"Yeah, that's him," nodded Eddie.

"Out of there, boy," snapped Lonnighan.

Dipper crawled out of the locker. The janitor reached out to help him down, but Lonnighan gave him a harsh glare and he stepped back. He climbed down from the locker and stood up, looking up at the Principal. He tried to stop himself from shaking.

"You're suspended," said Lonnighan.

Dipper's jaw dropped.

"Wh-what?!" he demanded, "Buh-but what did I do?!"

"What _didn't _you do, Mr. Pines?" snarled Lonnighan, "You had a psychotic breakdown in the middle of class! You _assaulted_ my son! From what I heard, he was forced to lock you in there for your own safety!"

"Sir, that's not true," interrupted Eddie, "He had a..."

"I have an _entire corridor of students_ and _Mr. Vought_ to provide testimony!" shouted Lonnighan, "I do not appreciate lies, Mr. Hohenbecker!"

He calmed down and shook his head.

"It is clear that you need help, Mr. Pines," he sighed, "It is clear that you have...something _wrong_ with your head. That said, I will _not_ tolerate misbehaviour."

"I'm not crazy, sir," whimpered Dipper.

"Your actions say otherwise, Mr. Pines," replied Lonnighan, "You will be escorted to and from your home by my son and will remain in my office all day until your mental condition improves."

"But...but...I'm not crazy!" exclaimed Dipper, "Dad, tell him I'm not crazy."

"It's out of my hands, Dipper," sighed his father, "The school nurse signed off on it."

Lonnighan nodded, his expression somewhat self-satisfied.

"Harry will see you bright and early tomorrow morning," he nodded, "Stay out of trouble, Mr. Pines – for your own sake."

He walked away, hands behind his back.

"Dad, how could you let him..." Dipper began, his voice cracking somewhat.

His father leant down, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I believe you, son, I really do," he said, "And I think we need to talk."

He turned to Eddie.

"Thanks for trying to help him," he said.

"Oh...th-that was just justice, you know," replied Eddie, scratching the back of his head, "I mean, I don't _like_ Pines, but-but I didn't want to see him get in trouble for..."

Dipper gave him a small, almost imperceptible smile. Eddie nodded stoically and walked away.

"I'll get you a new lock," the janitor stated, "Stay safe, kid."

He left, leaving the Pines' alone.

"Come on," nodded Dipper's father, "Let's get you home."

* * *

><p>Dipper sat in silence in the passenger seat of his father's car, looking out the window at the lights of the suburbs. It was dark now – the car clock said eight thirty – and a light drizzle was softly coating Piedmont in water. Street lights shone in the puddles, their orange glow giving the environment a slightly ethereal quality.<p>

Eventually, Dipper's father stopped at a red light.

"Well, Dipper," he sighed, "How long has this been happening?"

"Dad, I swear, I'm not going crazy!" exclaimed Dipper.

"I know you're not," replied his father, "I know what's happening."

"You really don't, dad," muttered Dipper.

"Son, you'll find I'm quite aware of Bill Cipher."

Dipper's eyes widened and he stared at his father with a slack-jawed expression.

"You...you..._what?!_"

"I grew up in Gravity Falls," replied his father, "My dad – your grandfather – worked with your Grunkle and a man named McGucket to research the weird things that happened around there. I was a curious kid, so I tended to eavesdrop on them."

"Did you meet Bill?" asked Dipper.

His father shrugged.

"Once or twice," he said, "But he spent most of his time messing with my dad and the research team. Stole McGucket's body once. That was weird."

"Yeah," replied Dipper, scratching his arm, "Pretty weird."

"So what does Bill want from you?" asked his father.

Dipper hesitated before reaching down into his bag and taking out the notebook.

"This," replied Dipper, "It's a collection of schematics for a portal."

His father furrowed his brow.

"So he's trying to draw you back to Gravity Falls so he can get it," he nodded.

"I don't get it," mused Dipper, "Why doesn't he just take it here? Why does he want me back?"

His father shrugged and shook his head, indicating that he didn't know.

"What did he show you?" he asked, "Why did you have that..."

"Meltdown?" replied Dipper, "Come on, dad, there isn't really anything else we can call it."

The light turned green, and his father continued slowly down the road.

"He showed me this portal under the Mystery Shack," explained Dipper, "Grunkle Stan was building it. Some guys came in, they...uh...dragged Stan away and...and pushed Wendy into it..."

He cringed and wringed his hands.

"Bill says I've got twenty-four hours to stop that," he finished, "He also said the world would end if I don't go..."

"...but surely the world will end if you _do_ go," mused his father, "If Bill gets his hands on the notebook..."

"I read it, dad!" exclaimed Dipper, "The longer the portal stays on, the more unstable it gets! What happens if it goes up?!"

His father sighed as he pulled up next to his house. Dipper reached for the door handle, but was stopped by his father's hand on his shoulder.

"Dipper, I can't let you go," he sighed, "I can't risk losing my son to that triangle."

"But dad..."

"But I can't give up the whole world just for my family, either," his father continued, "And that's what'll happen if I let you stay."

Dipper turned around. He could see his father's expression in the orange light of a street-lamp across the road. He looked very old.

"Dipper," he said, "Whatever happens next, I want you to promise me something."

"Don't go?" quizzed Dipper.

"No," replied his father, "_Come back._"

He climbed out of the car and headed inside.

Dipper got out of the car and leaned against the side, looking up at the inky grey-black of the sky above. It was dark, lifeless and foreboding, nothing like the open skies above Gravity Falls.

"Hey, Pines."

Dipper jumped as Eddie Hohenbecker walked down the street towards him, arms crossed.

"Eddie? How'd you get here so quickly?" demanded Dipper.

"Your dad drove pretty slowly," shrugged Eddie, "Plus I took a few short-cuts. Now, I think you mentioned some kind of _apocalypse_ today?"

"You believe me?" quizzed Dipper.

"Your eyes were flashing blue, Pines," replied Eddie, "Eyes don't do that."

"They were?" said Dipper.

"Look, we can argue about this, or we can get your butt to this 'Gravity Falls' place," grumbled Eddie, pulling his wallet from his pocket, "What's it gonna be?"

Dipper scratched his chin.

"Just wait up a second," he said, "I've gotta go get someone."

* * *

><p>There was a light 'clunk' as the rock hit Mabel's window. Dipper and Eddie waited impatiently for Mabel to open the window and lean out.<p>

"Hey Mabel!" called Dipper, "Wanna go save the world?"

"_Do I?!_" exclaimed Mabel excitedly.

She grabbed a bag from her desk and slid down the pipe next to her window.

"Alright! Mystery Twins, back in action!" cheered Mabel, "We're gonna solve some...who's this guy? Is he your friend?"

"I'm an anti-friend," muttered Eddie.

* * *

><p>"So Bill's been harassing you?" asked Mabel, "Why didn't you tell me? I could've helped you!"<p>

Dipper, Mabel and Eddie were walking through the suburb to the bus station. It wasn't far from the Pines' residence – about twenty minutes walk, to be precise – but it allowed enough time for Dipper to fill Mabel in on what was happening.

"You were _happy_, Mabel," replied Dipper, looking at his feet, "You have friends, you have a good school..."

"None of that matters unless you're happy too, Dipper," said Mabel, putting an arm around Dipper's shoulder, "I'd do anything for my little bro, especially if he's sad!"

She smiled.

"And besides," she continued, "I'm not gonna miss a chance to see my Waddles again!"

"Waddles?" quizzed Eddie, "You have a dog or something?"

"Nope, he's a pig!" beamed Mabel.

"Hmm," nodded Eddie.

Dipper looked up at the sky again.

"Do you think we're gonna make it in time, Mabel?" he asked, "I mean, if anything happened to them..."

"We'll get there, Dipping Sauce," reassured Mabel, "And even if we don't, Grunkle Stan can look after himself!"

"And what about Wendy?" snapped Dipper.

"Dipper, you're gonna get Wendy back even if you have to follow her into the portal," shrugged Mabel, "Because you _like_ her and you'd do _anything for her_ and..."

"_Mabel_," grunted Dipper.

Mabel nodded and quietened down.

"_Dipping Sauce?_" repeated Eddie, snickering.

"Laugh it up, Hohenbecker," muttered Dipper.

"Whatever you say, Pines," nodded Eddie.

They turned a corner. The bus station was just across the road ahead of them, a silver bus sitting at the sole platform. They walked over, Dipper gripping his sister's hand.

"You okay, bro?" asked Mabel.

"Well, I'm scared," replied Dipper, nervously, "Terrified actually. Kinda exhilarated, too."

He chuckled anxiously.

"Are we doing the right thing?" he asked.

"Fate of the planet, Pines," shrugged Eddie.

"We're gonna save our family, Dipper," reassured Mabel, "Of course it's the right thing."

They entered the bus sation and walked up to the counter. A bored teenager reclined behind a desk, staring at the wall in front of him. He straightened up slightly as the kids approached him.

"ID," he muttered.

Eddie opened his wallet and flashed a card. Whatever it was, it seemed to placate the ticket seller.

"Three return for Gravity Falls," stated Eddie, throwing a set of bills onto the desk.

The teen picked them up and looked over them. He shook his head.

"Sorry, sir," he said, "You've only got enough for one – and it won't be a return."

Eddie dug into his wallet. He cringed and shook his head.

"Ah, dangit! I thought I had more than this!" he cursed.

"Does anyone have any more money on them?" asked Dipper.

There was a long silence.

"Sorry, Dipper," sighed Mabel, "Looks like I can't go."

"No," said Dipper, "I-I can't go, not without you! I-I'm not _good_ enough to do this on my own..."

He felt Mabel press something into his hands. He looked down – it was the grappling hook.

"This is yours," he said, lamely.

"Yep," said Mabel, her eyes shimmering a little in the dim bus station lights, "And if you take it with you, I'll be beside you every step of the way."

Dipper looked down at the grappling hook. His eyes began to water.

"I'm gonna miss you, Mabel," he lamented, "I'm gonna miss you so much..."

"You'll be back, Broseph," said Mabel, her own eyes filling with tears, "I believe in you. We _all_ do."

She hugged him tightly, her embrace warm and comforting in the cold night air. Dipper returned the hug, smiling even as the tears ran down his cheeks.

"_All passengers_," boomed the intercom, "_The 9.30 to Gravity Falls via Sacramento will be leaving in two minutes._"

Dipper let go of Mabel. She rubbed an arm over her eyes, looking down on it when she was done wiping the tears.

"Dang," she chuckled somewhat hollowly, "It's all wet."

"Goodbye, Mabel," sighed Dipper.

"Hey, it's not 'goodbye'," corrected Mabel, choking up a little, "It's 'see you later.'"

Dipper smiled and turned to Eddie.

"Thanks for this, Eddie," he said.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," stammered Eddie, uncomfortably, "Just-just get on the bus, Dipper."

Dipper walked up to the bus, his bag over his shoulder. He put a foot on the step and looked back. Mabel was grinning at him, but the grin didn't reach her wet eyes. She waved, and Eddie offered him a rather awkward smile.

Dipper took a deep breath and stepped onto the bus. The doors closed after him.

"Well," he sighed, "Here we go."

He walked to the back of the bus, sitting at the rear right-hand corner of the vehicle. With the roar of a diesel engine, the bus jolted to life, drifting out of the bus station and onto the open road. Out a grimy window, Dipper could see that Mabel had moved to a chair and was now crying into her knees. Eddie was sitting next to her, silently watching the bus leave. In the distance, he could just about see what looked like his father's car – he looked away.

He reached into his vest and pulled out the '3' Journal. The brass gleamed in the light of the passing streetlamps. Despite himself, Dipper smiled.

Despite the fear, the worry, the heartsick and the uncertainty of his future, Dipper Pines felt like he was going home.

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><p>VBPIMF VK GEOMF PGFIGO PNUD<p>

* * *

><p>AN: You ever hear they saying 'out of the frying pan?'<p> 


	7. Chapter VI: Return

He's _baaaa-aaaack!_

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* * *

><p><strong>Chapter VI: Return<strong>

It felt like the longest bus trip in Dipper's life.

He had slept fitfully through the night, his dreams disturbed by visions of Bill Cipher and the portal. He'd woken up several times, catching his breath from his latest nightmare and allowing himself to be lulled back to sleep by the rain pattering against the windows.

At about four in the morning, he gave up trying to sleep. He sat up, gazing out the window at the world outside.

The rain had just about been left behind. Silvery moonlight flowed through the window, outlining parting clouds above. The dark shapes of distant mountains could be made out against a slowly lightening sky. The stars shone above, a mess of white dots painted on the canvas of the night sky.

You'd never see anything like that in Piedmont.

Dipper stared out the window for some time, thinking to himself as he watched the sun rise. He wondered if his mother knew he was gone yet.

It was about an hour later when Dipper was shaken from his thoughts by the bus driver turning up the radio for the morning news.

_"__...good morning California. The town of Gravity Falls, Oregon, has just reported a higher-than-average amount of rainfall over the first two weeks of September, a statistic contrary to the national average. Local authorities in the town have stated that there is no cause for alarm, and that the recent spate of bad weather will pass. Some residents, however, are of the belief that the rainfall is just the most recent of a series of supposed supernatural events in the town. We spoke to the sheriff, Donald Blubs."_

The voice changed to the familiar deep tone of Sheriff Blubs, Gravity Falls' incompetent head cop.

_"__Yeah, it's nothin' to be worried about. Just a bit o' rain, it's not like we're dealin' with ghosts or anythin'. And if we were, me n' Durland would sort it out."_

_"__We gun be ghostbusters! We gun be ghostbusters!"_

_"__Durland, you are just the light of my life."_

Dipper pinched the bridge of his nose.

_"__The Oregon Weather Bureau has warned that more rainfall can be expected tonight. For Radio One California, I'm Brad Newsworthy."_

"Must be a slow news day, huh kid?" shrugged the driver.

"Yeah," Dipper nodded, gazing anxiously at the roof.

"I mean, _'supernatural events'_," scoffed the driver, "I've done the Gravity Falls run enough times for me to tell you that it's just a nice normal town in the middle of nowhere. Nothing weird about it. You get me, kid?"

"Nope, nothing...nothing weird at all," muttered Dipper.

He went back to gazing out the window.

* * *

><p>The bus driver stopped for breakfast at eight thirty in a small motor inn about sixty miles from Gravity Falls. Dipper stayed aboard the bus, rapping his fingers on the glass of the window in anxiety. He was sure they were wasting time.<p>

Suddenly, he heard a tinny ringing sound from his bag. He reached inside, checked the number to make sure it wasn't his parents or the police, and answered.

"Dipper Pines?"

_"__Dude, it's Soos! Where are you?"_

"Soos?" quizzed Dipper, "How'd you know I was coming?"

_"__Mabel called,"_ explained Soos, _"Dude, is she serious? Is Mr. Pines in trouble?"_

"Yeah, Bill's after him," nodded Dipper, "Kinda surprised Mabel didn't call _him_ instead...no offense."

_"__None taken. Mabel said Mr. Pines would just call your parents. Speaking of which, what's your parents' number? I should probably call them..."_

"...let's save that for later, Soos," said Dipper, "Listen, right now I'm at..."

He looked out the bus window at the name of the motor inn.

"...Mittsville," he finished, "I think I'm an hour out. I'm gonna need a ride to the Shack when I get there. Can you..."

_"__Don't sweat it, dude, I'll be right there,_" said Soos, _"Gotta swing by town anyway to get some salt – my abuelita wants me to pick up some salt for grandpa's grave. See you there!"_

"Wait, before you...and he hung up," sighed Dipper.

He threw his phone into his bag as the bus driver emerged from the motor inn. He pulled the Journal out of his vest and settled down to read it – might as well use the last leg of his journey productively, after all.

* * *

><p>"Hey kid," the bus driver called, "We're five minutes out."<p>

Dipper jumped and looked up from the Journal. The bus was now driving through thick woodland over a rough, ill-maintained road. Dipper vaguely recognised the area. He was on the home stretch.

He pressed his face against the window as a familiar water tower emerged from behind the trees, the large letters on the side revealing where they were; _GRAVITY FALLS._

Despite the dangers associated with his return, Dipper couldn't help but grin broadly.

The trees peeled away as the bus entered the town. They began to pass buildings that Dipper recognised – the Gravity Falls Gossiper, the Museum, the arcade...

Then, with the wail of hydraulic brakes, they halted in the middle of town, next to the statue of Nathaniel Northwest. The door creaked open and Dipper got up from his seat. He walked to the front of the bus and stepped out the door.

The first thing he noticed was the colour.

Autumn had struck Gravity Falls in earnest, the trees a wild palette of tan and brown. Their leaves fell in piles over bright green grass. Above, the sky was a brilliant blue, dotted by a few white clouds. The light breeze was soothing and contained the slight scent of pine. Compared to Piedmont, this was like a whole new world.

"Well, on to Portland," shrugged the driver.

The door closed and the bus drove away, leaving Dipper alone in the quiet, empty square.

In fact, wasn't it a bit too quiet?

"How nice of you to come back, Mr. Pines."

Dipper jumped and turned around. Two men and a woman, all dressed as garbage disposal workers, walked down the road towards him, all of them carrying baseball bats. Dipper backed up into a streetlamp.

"Uh...do I know you?" gulped Dipper.

"We are the Cult of Bill," replied the woman, "Our dear leader has been expecting you."

"Hand over the book and we'll let you walk, kid," sneered the taller of the men, a hint of a Brooklyn accent in his voice.

"What notebook? I don't know what you're talking about!" exclaimed Dipper, starting to sweat.

"_Note_book?" sneered the tall man, "I never said it was a _note_book, did I?"

"One chance, little boy," sneered the woman, "Give it here and go home."

Dipper clenched his fists and tried to look threatening. He was pretty sure he was failing.

"Y-you can't have it!" he exclaimed, "Tell Bill he can get lost!"

"Nice attempt at bravado, kid," said the tall man, "But we know it's fake. You're at a disadvantage – you've got nowhere to go and nobody to back you up."

"Indeed," nodded the woman, "You might as well be honest with yourself, boy – you are on your own."

There was a loud crash as a brown pickup truck roared around a curve behind them, ploughing through a fire hydrant and swerving onto the main street.

"What in the name of?" shouted the woman.

"_Soos?!_" exclaimed Dipper.

The pickup truck sped down the road, half on the sidewalk. The cultists leapt out of the way as it swerved right and skidded to a halt in front of Dipper. The passenger door was flung open.

"Dude, get in!" exclaimed Soos.

"Soos! What's going..." Dipper began.

"Stop them!" thundered the woman.

Dipper jumped into Soos' pickup, slamming the door behind him. He clutched the handle above the door as Soos put his foot down – the pickup roared to life and swerved back onto the road, speeding off into the distance.

As soon as they were clear of the town centre, Dipper took off his hat and mopped his brow.

"Okay, what was that?" he asked, panting.

"No idea, dude," replied Soos, "I was just at the grocery store getting some salt when a bunch of guys started following me, and I thought they might be like those guys at the Shack you told Mabel about. I mean, they were going around asking people if they were buying anything – real creepy stuff, dude. So I thought they might be coming after you..."

"Soos, they're store employees," said Dipper, "That's their job."

"_Oh_," said Soos.

There was a short silence.

"My...my entrance was pretty cool though, wasn't it?" he asked.

Dipper smiled.

"Best thing I've seen all month," he replied, "I missed you, Soos."

"Missed you too, dude," replied Soos, grinning, "So, how's life in California?"

Dipper's face fell, and he looked at his feet.

"It's been...kinda lonely," he replied, "I don't have a lot of...okay, I don't have _any_ friends."

"Sure ya do, dude!" replied Soos, putting a hand on Dipper's shoulder, "You got me!"

"Yeah, but you're all the way over here," said Dipper, "And all the people who _don't_ like me are right there. It's hard, you know?"

"I feel that," nodded Soos, "I was like that when I was in school. But look at me now, dude! I got a job I like, a good boss..."

Dipper suppressed a snort.

"...and I'm happy," finished Soos, "You just gotta wait it out, Dipper – it'll pass."

Dipper nodded.

"Well, I feel a _bit_ better, I guess," he said, smiling, "Thanks Soos."

"No problem, dude."

The pikup turned onto the road to the Shack.

"So, what's the plan?" asked Soos.

"...would you be upset if I said I hadn't gotten that far?" replied Dipper, pulling on his collar.

"Eh, we can just improvise, dude," shrugged Soos, "Ooh! Maybe if we could get one of those large-sized bobble-heads from the shack, we could..."

He trailed off.

They had just reached the Mystery Shack. Stan's car was parked outside – so too was a black government sedan. Both had had their tires deflated. A police cruiser was parked not far away, and Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland were sitting on the bonnet playing solitaire. There seemed to be a light sheen of blue wafting over the building – almost like a force field.

Soos parked, and Dipper jumped out of the pickup. He ran for the door, leaping up the front steps and reaching for the handle. His hand was stopped against the sheen.

_"__Welcome,_" a familiar automated voice said, _"This is Fiddleford Hadron McGucket. If you are hearing this, then all members of the portal project are incapacitated and the portal's automated security system has been activated. This system was designed by McGucket Labs, 1981. Thank you ._"

"Dude, the Mystery Shack has a force field?" quizzed Soos.

Dipper shook his head, his face paling.

"We're too late," he gasped, "It's already happened."

* * *

><p>SQRZYG XA DOCCV NQVFDLMF<p>

* * *

><p>AN: McGucket made a force field in the 1980s, because he's just that cool.<p> 


	8. Chapter VII: Beyond

Well, time to see how deep the rabbit hole goes.

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* * *

><p><strong>Chapter VII: Beyond<strong>

Dipper stared at the door to the Mystery Shack gift shop, rubbing his temples and trying to stay calm.

He had run around the Mystery Shack, trying every door and finding them all blocked. Soos had tried to break the window, but this had proven just as unsuccessful. They were stuck outside, and every moment they wasted was crucial. Dipper's thoughts ran away with nasty predictions of what might happen to Wendy and Stan, and his anxiety levels were rising rapidly.

"Well, I'm stumped," shrugged Soos, unhelpfully.

"None of this makes sense!" snapped Dipper, pulling at his hair, "Who activated the security system? Why does the Mystery Shack even _have_ a force field? Why would Stan even _want_ to build a portal? _And why won't those cops get off their butts and help us?!_"

He shook his fist in the direction of Blubs and Durland. Apparently mistaking the gesture for something else, Durland waved back.

Dipper growled and sat down on the step.

"What am I even thinking, Soos?" he lamented, "I just ran five hundred miles away from home to save my family from a near-all powerful demon. I'm _thirteen_. What did I _think_ was gonna happen?!"

"Aw, c'mon dude," reassured Soos, "We'll get in! We just need to think outside the box a little."

He walked over to the yellow question mark sign beside the door.

"Maybe we can find a key or something?" he suggested.

"Soos, it's a force field," snapped Dipper, "We're not gonna find a key under the mat or anyth..."

Soos took off the sign, revealing a number pad underneath. The words 'Security Control Panel' were etched above it.

"...Soos, you're a genius."

Dipper walked over to the panel, scratching his chin as he looked over it. It was a bit old fashioned, like one of those boxes outside apartments that one used to call rooms inside. A small notice asked him to enter a three-number code.

"Alright, I got this," nodded Soos, pressing on the panel, "One-one-one...no, one-one-two...nuh-uh, one-one-three...I'll get it, I'll get it, hold on..."

Somewhere in Dipper's mind, something clicked.

"Let me try something," he suggested.

Soos stepped aside, and Dipper keyed in a sequence of numbers – six-one-eight.

_"__Security system has been deactivated. Have a good day!_"

The force field shimmered and disappeared.

"Six eighteen," mused Dipper, "Why's it always six eighteen?"

"Not following you, dude," said Soos.

"The Mystery Shack's address is 618 Gopher Road," replied Dipper, "The first page on the Journal is dated 6/18. My locker at Shell Heights was 618. That can't be a coincidence!"

"Pretty weird," agreed Soos.

Dipper opened the door to the gift shop. It was not in good shape – merchandise was sprawled across the floor, and the cash register was embedded in one of the walls. A government ID was abandoned on the wooden floor. It was far too quiet for Dipper's liking. Off to the side, the old, out-of-order vending machine had been moved, revealing a secret passageway.

"Well," gulped Dipper, "That must be where the portal is. Down the rabbit hole, huh?"

Soos gulped, but nodded as he followed Dipper down.

The passageway led down a narrow staircase into an elevator. The elevator was small – a panel stood next to the up-down controls, but the code had already been keyed in. Dipper gulped and pressed the 'down' button.

For a few uncomfortable seconds, Dipper and Soos stood in the lift, staring straight at the door and saying nothing.

They reached the bottom and the door opened, revealing what looked like a dark surveillance room. Dipper and Soos walked through, looking uneasily at the monitors.

"Why would Mr. Pines need all this?" asked Soos.

"I don't know, Soos," shrugged Dipper, "I don't know."

As they approached the end of the room, the wind began to pick up. It became bitterly cold, and Dipper hugged his arms in a futile attempt to keep warm.

They emerged from the room and found the portal. Dipper's jaw dropped.

The portal was huge, towering above Dipper and Soos to the roof of the cavernous chamber. It glowed red – which was worrying, because according to the notebook, it was supposed to be blue. Lightning arced out from the portal, filling the air with the cracking sound of thunder.

"Well, that's...that's a lot scarier than I expected," gulped Dipper.

"So wait, Wendy's in _there?!_" exclaimed Soos, "Dude, you're not seriously going to..."

Dipper opened a cabinet on the wall next to him. Inside was a set of three extendable cables attached to an iron bar. A note was attached to the door – 'rope too weak. Must remember to use these instead.' Dipper grabbed one of the cables, securing the other end around his waist.

"Soos, she's my best friend," he replied, "I won't leave her – I'm going in."

He stepped forward. The wind picked up around him, and he clutched his hat to keep it from blowing away. His heart began to race, and he was sure he was sweating. He shook his head and swallowed his fear – _he had to do this._

"Soos," he said, somewhat shakily, "If I don't come back in an hour, call Mabel. Tell her..."

"I can't do that, dude..."

Dipper turned around. Soos was attaching a cable to his own waist and stepping up behind him.

"...because I'm coming with."

Dipper stared for a moment, surprised at his friend's willingness to follow him into the unknown. There was a feeling deep within his heart that he hadn't really felt since summer had ended – he was no longer alone.

Dipper smiled.

"Alright, Soos," he nodded, "On three."

He turned back to the portal, towering ominously ahead of them. He took a deep breath.

"One...two..._three!_"

Dipper closed his eyes and ran.

There was a sudden, sickening vertigo as he felt gravity fail him. For a few seconds that felt like hours he floated through the air – then there was the sensation of pins-and-needles all over his body, and he found he couldn't really tell which limb was which. It was if he had been turned into a cloud of dust. All he could hear was the deafening sound of strong winds – it was deathly cold.

Then there was a thud as he landed face-first on a hard wooden floor. He winced at the pain, rolled over and opened his eyes.

He was in a greyscale version of the Mystery Shack gift shop, surrounded by a faint mist. The room was stripped bare of merchendise and there was a faint smell that Dipper couldn't quite put his finger on. He got to his feet and turned around – a small portal wafted lazily on the wall behind him, his cable leading into it.

"So far so good," muttered Dipper, "Soos, you okay?"

Next to him, Soos climbed to his feet, his face green.

"Dude," he muttered, "I _really_ shouldn't have eaten breakfast this morning...uh, I'm gonna need to stand still for a bit..."

He leant against the wall, shaking his head and breathing deeply.

Dipper walked over to the door, gazing out the window. All he could see was a foggy void.

"Alright, so this is some kind of mirror version of the Mystery Shack," mused Dipper, "But where's Wendy?"

"Ain't that the question, huh Pine Tree?"

Dipper jumped as Bill Cipher appeared in the window.

"Bill!" he exclaimed.

"Good to see you again, kid," said Bill, "I see you brought Question Mark with you!"

"Hey!" snapped Soos, somewhat queasily, "You leave Dipper al...oooh..._oooh,_ dude, my stomach..."

He leant back against the wall, closing his eyes.

"So, you came back," said Bill, "Good to hear! Did you bring my notebook?"

Dipper sneered.

"Bill, did you really think I'd be that stupid?"

He crossed his arms.

"I left the notebook in Piedmont," he explained, "In the hands of someone I trust...kinda...sorta...in an anti-friend kinda way..."

"You left it with Hohenbecker, huh?" nodded Bill, "Good plan. Too bad I don't need it anymore."

Dipper's eyes widened.

"_What?!_"

"You decoded the book, kid!" replied Bill, extending his arms, "Everything I need to know is in that pretty little head of yours, which ya just walked straight into my home away from home here! So why don't 'cha just stay still while I dig it out, huh?"

He turned red – so too did the fog.

"But seriously, Pine Tree, try not to squirm," he snarled, "I don't wanna cause too much brain damage."

The door flung open. Dipper gasped.

Dozens of geometric figures floated in the void – each looked like a Picasso rendition of a resident of Gravity Falls. Their eyes – or at least what Dipper assumed were their eyes – glowed blood red, and their arms were extended towards him. He backed up as they advanced, screaming gibberish at him.

"_Eihgt mgit! Me!"_

"_Tocybyi! Tocybyi"_

"_Wtsjttuni ntopertioa bsahnafg!"_

Dipper backed up behind the counter, feeling around desperately for something he could use to fight back. His breathing grew faster and he began to sweat.

"Hold him down, citizens!" shouted Bill, "Come on, Pine Tree, don't make this hard on yourself..."

"Hey, freaky dudes!"

The Picasso zombies stopped and turned. Soos was standing by the counter, a plank of wood in his hands.

"Nobody messes with my family and gets away with it," snapped Soos.

The zombies roared and began to advance on Soos instead.

"Now's your chance, dude!" shouted Soos, "Find Wendy!"

"But Soos!" exclaimed Dipper, "You can't..."

"I'll be fine!" replied Soos, "I binge-played a whole bunch of zombie games last night! I know what I'm doing!"

He swung the plank, knocking the mirror zombie rendition of Toby Determined into the wall.

Dipper took a deep breath and vaulted the counter, racing through the employees-only door. He thought he could hear Bill shouting after him, but he ignored it as he raced up the stairs.

He'd been running for about thirty seconds, not looking where he was going, when he realised he should have been up in the attic long ago. He looked around and yelped. He was standing on a staircase of light, suspended in a dark void above a pale blue light.

In his shock, he lost his footing.

Screaming, he tumbled down into the light. He clenched his eyes shut, waiting for the inevitable impact. It never came.

Dipper opened his eyes. He was standing in an empty corridor in Shell Heights Middle School. It looked no different from normal – cold, grey and soulless.

"How good of you to come back, Mr. Pines."

Principal Lonnighan phased into being from what looked like a cloud of gathering dust.

"P-Principal Lonnighan?" stammered Dipper.

"I prefer _sir,_ Mr. Pines, I thought we went over that," reminded Lonnighan, "Anyway, welcome back to where you belong."

He began to walk slowly towards Dipper, who backed up into some lockers.

"From now on," continued Lonnighan, "I want to work with you, to help you fit in, to help you conform."

There was a loud crash, and rotting hands began to burst out of the lockers, clutching at Dipper. He screamed and tried to jump away, only to find himself being grabbed by the arms and held back.

"The only words out of your mouth," sneered Lonnighan, "Shall be 'yes sir', 'no sir' and 'how high sir'. You will question nothing and act on each and every instruction you are given. You will be a good little cog in society, unremarkable in every way."

The hands began to clutch at Dipper's face, sharp nails cutting into his skin. He cringed and tried to hold back tears.

"Principal Lonnighan, please, I-I don't want..."

"Nobody does, Mr. Pines," replied Lonnighan, "But once Bill has been through your mind, conformity will come naturally to you."

He began to expand, growing fur as his muscle mass bulged under his clothes. He snarled, sharp fangs bared. His eyes turned yellow.

"No, please!" shouted Dipper, "Don't do this! Don't do it! Y-you're supposed to be a principal, not a l..."

"Easy, Mr. Pines," growled Lonnighan in a tone that was not at all comforting, "I'll be back with you soon. We shall face our destinies together, Mr. Pines..."

Lonnighan had transformed completely now, a towering wolf over Dipper's cowering, panicking form. With a crash, giant paws slammed into Dipper's shoulders, denting the locker behind him. The foul smell of his breath was almost suffocating.

"_Please,_" Dipper pleaded, "Stop...I don't..."

"Calm down, Mr. Pines," said Lonnighan, "It will all be over soon..."

Dipper closed his eyes, gritting his teeth and preparing for the inevitable.

Suddenly he heard a wet thud and an animalistic roar. The hands let go of him and he dropped to the ground, hitting his head on the locker on the way down.

He opened his eyes, his vision swimming. Lonnighan's monstrous form lay next to him, writhing a little but otherwise laying still. He could see a figure next to him, but his vision was too blurry to make it out.

"...you okay...c'mon, talk to me Dipper...Dipper!"

Dipper's vision focused. He made out a teenager, dressed in a green flannel shirt with red hair running down to her waist, a fire axe in her hands.

"...W-Wendy?"

Wendy smiled and offered her hand. Dipper took it and she pulled him to his feet.

"Finally," she said, "Something in here that isn't trying to rip my head off. How'd you end up here?"

Dipper mopped his brow.

"It's a very long story," he sighed.

* * *

><p>U GRP'A DRFQVI ILVVOEE BWM WTSLNK LVYM GV PMV<p>

QO YBX'TD TDSSCILL JW LS TIRXLN, COMSWQ HFP'A HNQO QSGV YGHD NQL UVK

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><p>AN: Isn't it awkward when you go to save someone and they save you instead?<p> 


	9. Chapter VIII: Escape

Sorry this took so long - I'm not very good at action scenes, so they take a little longer to write. Also I was watching Doctor Who. Mainly the latter, actually.

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* * *

><p><strong>Chapter VIII: Escape<strong>

"...and that's how I got here," finished Dipper.

He and Wendy were walking down the corridor, trying to follow Dipper's cable back to the gift shop. The hallway seemed to stretch on forever – no matter how far they went, the open fire door at the end of the hallway never seemed to get closer. On the plus side, it gave them time to talk.

"So you ran away from home and jumped into a portal to another dimension just to save me?" replied Wendy, "Okay, now _that_ is gonna be a hard one to repay."

"You saved me from being lobotomised by wolf Lonnighan," shrugged Dipper, "I'd say we're pretty even."

"Come on, man, don't sell yourself short," said Wendy, "I'm a teenager and I've been around axes all my life. You're thirteen and you've never been this far from home alone. Put it into perspective!"

Dipper smiled and tried not to blush.

"So that guy's your principal, huh?" asked Wendy.

"Well, I guess," shrugged Dipper, "I mean, if he was a werewolf illusion made by Bill or something."

"I can see why you don't like him," grunted Wendy, "Something about that dude just rubs me the wrong way..."

Dipper shivered a little as he remembered the meeting in Lonnighan's office, and the cold abyss of his principal's eyes.

_"__Imagine society as a pyramid..."_

At long last, they reached the fire door. Just past that were the front doors of Shell Heights Middle School. Dipper's cable had somehow slipped through the crack under the door.

"Okay," said Dipper, "Hopefully we can get back to Soos through there."

He crept up to the door, slowly easing it open. Wendy tensed and gripped the fire axe more tightly.

On the other side of the dooway was Dipper and Mabel's bedroom in the Mystery Shack, almost exactly as he had left it at the end of summer. The only thing missing was Waddles sleeping on Mabel's bed. Apart from the strange greyscale palette, it was just like home.

_Home._

"Okay, this is familiar," muttered Dipper, sighing a little.

"You okay, Dip?" asked Wendy, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah," nodded Dipper, "Just feeling a bit homesick."

"Missing Piedmont?" quizzed Wendy.

"Nope," replied Dipper, "Missing home."

"Don't we all, Pine Tree?"

There was a flash of blue, and Bill appeared in front of them, arms outstretched.

"Bill!" exclaimed Dipper, "Will you stop following me?!"

"But we're besties, kid!" replied Bill, "BFFs! Bros! We need to stick together, huh?"

"I know who my best friend is," snarled Dipper, "And it sure as heck isn't you."

"Aw, you're hurting my feelings, kid!" exclaimed Bill, "I mean, after all we've been through..."

"What do you want with him, Bill?" snarled Wendy.

"Ah, Ice Bag! Finally get to see ya in my flesh," said Bill, "I'm here to tell you you're off the hook, kid!"

Dipper tilted his head.

"What?"

"One of my followers grabbed it off that Hohenbecker kid," replied Bill, "He's on his way here as we speak! Ain't it wonderful?"

"But that's impossible!" shouted Dipper, "You're _here!_ How could you have followers in Piedmont? How..."

Suddenly, everything clicked together in his head.

_"__I can see workers of all shapes and sizes; builders, engineers, technicians, lumberjacks and handymen..."_

"It can't be..." whispered Dipper.

_"__Mr. Pines, let me show you a little theory of mine," he said, "Imagine society is a pyramid..."_

_He drew an imaginary triangle on the desk with his fingers._

"It _can't_ be..."

_"__Stay out of trouble, Mr. Pines – for your own sake."_

_"__I'll be back with you soon. We shall face our destinies together, Mr. Pines..."_

"Principal Lonnighan?" exclaimed Dipper, "He works for you?!"

"Ding ding!" said Bill, "Give the kid a medal! Yep, Lonnighan's one of my most important pawns! He and that kid of his were supposed to drive you back to Gravity Falls – and they did that with _flying colours!_ I'll have to reward them – box of silly straws each, I think..."

Dipper shook his head, stepping back in disbelief.

"But...but _why?_" he demanded, "You only needed the notebook, a-and you knew I had it so why didn't..."

"Oh yeah, I needed the notebook, or at least what was in it," nodded Bill, "But I also needed _you_, Pine Tree. You're important, kid – _real_ important. Besides that, you know too much. Much easier to deal with you like I dealt with your dear old grandpa."

Dipper fell onto his bed, shaking his head.

"So I...I just fell into a trap..." he muttered, "You...you actually wanna _kill _me..."

"Yep! Pretty much!" shrugged Bill, "Or something to that effect!"

Wendy narrowed her eyes and stepped forward, brandishing the axe.

"Alright, you dumb triangle," she snarled, "I'm not letting you manipulate my best friend any longer. We're gonna get out of this stupid dimension, and when we do..."

She clenched her fists.

"...I'm coming for you, Cipher," she said.

"Oh, I am _so _scared!" said Bill in mock horror, "Lady, I'm an immortal demon! You're a freakishly tall squishy human who can't even grasp sixth-dimensional physics! Who do you think's gonna win?"

He shrugged.

"But I love a laugh, so go on," he challenged, "Give it your best shot."

There was a flash, and suddenly they were falling through darkness again.

With a loud thud, Dipper landed on something hard and wooden. He opened his eyes and sat up – he was back in the gift shop, on top of the counter. Wendy had landed on the floor next to him. Soos was cornered against a wall, swinging his plank at approaching Picasso zombies and sweating profusely. The portal was on the other side of the room, which seemed to have been stretched – it was now at least twenty-five meters away.

"...okay...so challenging all the zombies myself..._bad idea_," he panted.

"Soos!" called Dipper.

"Dudes!" shouted Soos, "You're okay!"

"Nice to see you too, Soos," nodded Wendy, "Now how about we ditch this place?"

"Let's do this," said Soos, narrowing his eyes.

He shoved his way through the mirror forms of Thompson and Durland and stopped next to Dipper, leaning down and putting the plank on the desk.

"Get on the Soosmobile, dude," he said.

Dipper grabbed the plank and jumped onto Soos' shoulders.

"Run!" he exclaimed.

Soos whinnied like a horse and charged, Wendy following behind.

Dipper clutched at the plank, swinging it round at any zombie that tried to grab him. He'd just slammed mirror Bud Gleeful in the face when he felt an arm clutch his leg. He looked down and gasped – the bizarre and horrible distorted face of mirror zombie Robbie stared back at him.

_"__Yatccouht wenhod nier, krd!"_

Dipper screamed as he was pulled off of Soos' back and thrown to the ground. The mirror Robbie slammed his foot on him and began to press down. His leg hurt.

"Get away from him!"

Wendy swung the fire axe around, striking mirror Robbie in the face with the blunt end and knocking him off Dipper. She swung around the axe again, swinging the blade into his distorted face. Mirror Robbie screamed – it sounded like a whale song – and his head degenerated into dust. His body followed, blowing away like a candle in the wind.

Wendy picked up Dipper, who put an arm over her shoulder as she helped him towards the portal. Soos had charged a hole through the crowd of zombies, but it was starting to close up.

Soos stopped just before the portal and looked back.

"Soos, get out of here!" shouted Dipper, "We'll be right-aah!"

He was grabbed by the neck by mirror Old Man McGucket, who began to scream into his ear.

_"__UOOCA'YN AWKEHT'S TARABA LDAEKRYL CERBN!"_

"Duck!" shouted Wendy.

Dipper ducked his head as far as he could as Wendy swung the axe into mirror McGucket's forehead. As the old zombie disintegrated, Dipper grabbed onto her again, slightly dizzy from lack of air. He felt another, larger arm slip under his other shoulder.

"I'm not leaving you, bro," said Soos.

The three limped towards the portal, Soos and Wendy swatting away anything that came too close. Dipper tried to help where he could, kicking back at mirror Nate as he tried to attack from behind.

The wind picked up as they approached the portal. Dipper closed his eyes and prayed they'd make it. There came a sudden vertigo, a roaring cold wind, a strange feeling all over his body...

...then he landed into a hard, stone surface.

Dipper groaned, rolled over and opened his eyes. He was back in the underground lab, about fifty meters from the portal. Soos and Wendy had landed not far away, the former groaning and clutching his stomach.

"Okay," wheezed Wendy, "That was awesome. Terrifying, but _awesome_."

"Alright! Mystery Tri_auuugh my head_," groaned Soos.

Dipper got to his feet, patting himself to make sure he was alright. He found his head bare – he must have lost his hat somewhere in the mirror dimension.

Dipper took off his bag and opened it, rummaging for his spare hat. He found it and put it on, before feeling a second hat in the bag.

"Uh, Wendy?" he asked, pulling out the trapper hat, "I think this is yours."

Wendy smiled and took the hat back.

"Thanks, Dip," she said, "For everything. I mean, who else would've jumped into a portal just to save me?"

"Well, Mabel wanted to come," shrugged Dipper, "But we didn't have enough bus money."

He walked into the surveillance room, Wendy following him. Soos tried to get up to follow them, but then he groaned and fell back, breathing heavily.

Dipper sighed and sat at the desk just beyond the portal door.

"But now we've gotta find Grunkle Stan," he said, "And I have no idea where they took him."

"Well, maybe there's a clue in here," shrugged Wendy, "I dunno, gotta be something to work from..."

"They're a cult, Wendy," said Dipper, "They've probably got some kind of special lodge somewhere where we'll never get in, like a golf course or the Northwests' mansion or something..."

He opened the top drawer.

"I mean, how are we gonna – _whoa._"

There, in the drawer in front of him, were Journals '1' and '2'.

"Dude, you gotta be kidding!" exclaimed Wendy, "Stan had them the whole time?"

"Must've taken the second one from Gideon," nodded Dipper, slipping out Journal '1', "Maybe there'll be a clue in here."

He began to skim through the book, looking for anything that might help him.

"Hmm...lycanthropy, selkies, the Sidhe, MiBs, UFOs, McGucket's shopping list, Time Lords...what's this?"

He put the open book on the desk so that Wendy could see it.

_In my search for the secrets and knowledge required to build the portal, I have uncovered evidence of a prophecy revolving around Gravity Falls._

_There is a secret room in the Gravity Falls Library, just behind the English Lit isle. It is marked by a small panel which is marked by the Big Dipper. In this small room, one can find an ancient book – the Bill Cipher Wheel is carved into the cover, and the stand proclaims that it is the Prophecy of the Child of Destiny._

_Unfortunately, the book is written in a series of symbols which I cannot read. I will return and decode it after the portal project is completed._

_In the mean time, I have asked Stanley and Fiddleford to investigate the presence of..._

Dipper looked up, eyes wide.

"The Big Dipper?" mused Wendy, "Like on your forehead?"

Dipper clicked his fingers.

"This could be a clue!" he exclaimed, "This might lead us to Stan!"

"What're you waiting for, dudes?" said Soos, "To the library!"

Dipper and Wendy turned around.

"How long have you been standing there?" asked Dipper.

"Eh, long enough," shrugged Soos, "Hey, is that a SMEZ dispenser? I love those things!"

He reached into the drawer and pulled out the dispenser.

"Day improved," he declared, shoving it into his pocket.

* * *

><p>The sun was getting low in the sky by the time Dipper, Wendy and Soos made it to the library. The panel was exactly where the book said it was – on the wall behind the English Literature section.<p>

"Alright," muttered Dipper, "Here goes."

He pressed down on the panel. There was a loud rumbling noise as the wall shifted to the right, revealing a long, dark tunnel.

"Soos," said Dipper, "Guard the door. If we're not back in five minutes, come in after us."

Soos nodded.

Dipper and Wendy crept into the tunnel. In the distance, they could see a small, orange light. It looked like candlelight.

"So, are we gonna talk about why your birthmark was on the panel?" asked Wendy.

"I just wanna find Stan and get to the bottom of this," replied Dipper, "I don't care about any _child of destiny_ stuff right now."

"But what if it's important?" said Wendy.

Dipper didn't reply.

Before long, they reached the candle. It was attached to a wooden door – the glow of light could be seen through the cracks.

"Well, hopefully this wasn't a waste of time," muttered Dipper.

He opened the door, looked inside and gasped.

"Ah, how good of you to join us, Mr. Pines," said Principal Lonnighan.

* * *

><p>POPVH WGOZ PV XAAN WB KSO AKODKARQ<p>

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><p>AN: Nothing's ever simple, is it? =P<p>

EDIT: I forgot the code. Me idiot! :P


	10. Chapter IX: Revelation

Not a terribly unique title anymore, Revelations, is it? Ah well.

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* * *

><p><strong>Chapter IX: Revelation<strong>

Principal Lonnighan stood in the middle of the chamber, hands behind his back. He was flanked by five members of the Cult of Bill – Dipper recognised them as the two men from his vision and the three who had ambushed him when he got off the bus. Harry stood in front of his father, his arms crossed. Apart from the Lonnighans, all were armed. In the middle of the room, there was an old, leather book on a stone tablet – the words 'CHILD OF DESTINY' were engraved below. The word 'CHILD' seemed off-centre.

"Lonnighan," growled Dipper.

"I believe I asked you to call me _sir_, Mr. Pines," said Lonnighan.

"There's a _lot_ of things I wanna call you right now," growled Dipper, "Where's Grunkle Stan?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself, boy?" replied Lonnighan.

He motioned to the cultists, who stepped aside. Grunkle Stan was slouched in the back left-hand corner. He was bound by ropes and was clearly unconscious.

"Grunkle Stan!" exclaimed Dipper.

He ran towards him, but was grabbed mid-stride by Harry.

"Hold it, Pines," he sneered, "We're gonna make a trade."

Harry shoved Dipper back. He was caught by Wendy.

"The deal is quite simple, Mr. Pines," said Lonnighan, "This book can only be read by a 'Child of Destiny'. After interrogation, it has become clear to us that dear old Stanford doesn't fit our description. This narrows our options to three possibilities. Angus?"

The man who had led the attempt to capture Stan and Wendy stepped forward.

"The way we see it," he said, "It's either Gideon, your sister or you."

"Why them?" demanded Wendy, "Why not Candy, or Grenda, or Pacifica Northwest?"

"They haven't had the same interaction with the supernatural that Gideon and the Pines have," replied Angus, "That, and we _really_ don't wanna mess with the Northwests."

"They're, like, _stupidly_ rich, you know?" added the tall man.

"Yeah," nodded Angus, "Plus, your family and Gideon are known possessors of the journals. We in the Cult of Bill don't believe in coincidences."

"Indeed," said Lonnighan, "So here's your choice, Mr. Pines – open the book and translate it, or we will kill your great uncle."

The tall man pulled a pistol from his jacket, aiming it at Stan's head.

"Cowards," spat Wendy.

"Perhaps," shrugged Lonnighan, "But it really doesn't matter so long as it works, doesn't it?"

"Dipper..."

Stan winced and opened his eyes.

"Don't let 'em have it," he wheezed.

"D-Dad, are you sure we need to do this?" asked Harry, "I mean, I can get Pines to read the thing, we don't need the guns..."

"I'm afraid we do, Harold," snapped Lonnighan, "Now, what will it be, Mr. Pines? All you need to do is touch it – the book will do the rest."

Dipper looked from the book on the pedetal to Stan. He sighed.

"I'm sorry, Grunkle Stan," he said.

He stepped forward, walking over to the pedestal. He reached out, but paused before touching the cover.

"Wait a minute," he said, "Haven't we been in here longer than five minutes?"

"What do you mean, boy?" demanded Lonnighan, "Just open the book!"

"No, I'm pretty sure we have," nodded Dipper, "You know what that means, Wendy?"

"Pretty sure I do, Dipper," replied Wendy, crossing her arms.

"Would you care to enlighten the rest of us to your little in-joke?" growled Lonnighan.

"Well, Principal Lonnighan," shrugged Dipper, "You'll know it when you see it."

Down in the depths of the tunnel, there came a sound – soft at first, but it got louder and louder. It sounded like footsteps.

"What in the name of..." muttered Angus.

"_Get away from Mr. Pines!_"

Soos burst out of the tunnel, barrelling shoulder-first into Angus and sending him crashing hard into the stone wall.

The tall man turned, jaw dropping. He raised his gun – suddenly a pair of arms grabbed him in a headlock.

"First rule of kidnapping, punk," Stan snarled, "Learn how to tie someone up properly."

He hurled the tall man to the side and turned around – he found himself looking straight into the barrel of the gunman's rifle.

"Goodnight," snarled the gunman, "You old fa-_aaargh!_"

Wendy had grabbed him by the collar from behind – she turned him around and twisted the gun out of his hands before punching him across the face.

The fifth cultist – a short man – ambled over, a baseball bat raised over his shoulders. Dipper lunged at him, jumping onto his back and biting into his shoulder. The man yelped – Dipper used the momentary distraction to snatch his bat and smack him in the face.

As the short man crashed to the ground, Dipper jumped off and swung around, throwing the bat at the female cultist. She was knocked back, slamming her head into the wall. Dipper pumped his fist as his opponent slumped to the ground.

"Impressive, Pines, but not good enough!"

Harry tackled Dipper, shoving him towards the book. Grabbing hold of Dipper's arm, he forced it onto the cover. There was a blast of golden light – Dipper heard a scream which he would later realise was his own. Voices rang in his head.

_"__...Cain and Abel? That's a bit biblical, isn't it Stanley?"_

_"__That's what Bill said, Fiddleford. Two twins destined to fight each other."_

_"__You think he meant you and Stanford?"_

_"__I suspect it, Fiddleford...but I have my doubts. You see, Bill said that if he wins...this Cain and Abel thing won't happen..."_

_"__Was this _before_, _after_ or _during_ the part where he was grilling my hands?"_

_"__McGucket, do you have to keep bringing that up?"_

_"__Yes! It still freaking smarts!"_

_ "__Don't be a wimp, Fiddleford. Look, how about we deal with Bill first and then consider the possibility that my brother might turn evil."_

_"__Agreed..."_

Dipper found himself on the floor, his vision swimming. Stan was leaning over him, hand under his head.

"Kid, you alright?" asked Stan, "Come on, I don't wanna have to explain this to your parents..."

Behind Stan, Lonnighan picked up the book. He turned to Dipper and sneered.

"Thank you, Mr. Pines," he said, "We'll be seeing you."

He ran from the chamber, Harry following him.

"Why'd he take the book?" muttered Dipper, "He...he can't even read it."

"He can now," said Stan, grimly, "Your touch translated it."

"Oh," said Dipper, "That's...that's bad..."

Everything went dark.

* * *

><p>Dipper woke up on a mattress on the floor of the Shack's living room, his head splitting. The only light was the muted television – clearly, it was late.<p>

He groaned and tried to sit up. Waddles lay at the end of the mattress, snoring softly. Above them, Wendy was slumped on the couch, quietly dozing in front of an old rerun of _Duck-Tective_. He could hear crickets outside.

He glanced at his watch. It was 10.03pm.

"Ugh," he groaned, shaking his head.

Wendy stirred and opened her eyes. She yawned.

"Feeling any better, Dip?" she asked.

"Where's everybody else? How did I get here?" asked Dipper, "Last thing I remember was Lonnighan taking the book..."

"We carried you home, man," explained Wendy, "Soos is out trying to pick up Lonnighan's trail, since he's got the only working wheels at the moment. I haven't seen Stan in a while, but I reckon he's down in the lab."

"Shouldn't you be home by now?" quizzed Dipper.

"I told dad I was at Tambry's," shrugged Wendy, "I'm not going anywhere until you're back on your feet."

Dipper smiled and laid back.

"You know, I missed having friends," he said.

"You still have Mabel, don't you?" reminded Wendy.

"Yeah, but she has her own friends," replied Dipper, "She's...she's _better_ with people then I am."

He sighed.

"It's lonely, you know?" he said.

"I get you," nodded Wendy, "But you know what? You'll always have me. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm open."

Dipper nodded and gave her a small smile.

"I think I'm gonna go find Stan," he said.

"Gotcha," nodded Wendy, "I'll hold down the fort up here."

Dipper got to his feet and walked out of the room.

It wasn't hard to get back into the lab – Stan had left the door open behind him, which didn't strike Dipper as particularly in character. He eventually found his Grunkle at the desk in the surveillance room, skimming through Journal 1 and occasionally glancing forlornly at the portal. He seemed very low.

"Grunkle Stan?" said Dipper.

Stan grunted.

"Did you know about this Child of Destiny stuff before all this?" asked Dipper.

Stan sighed heavily.

"I never really thought about it," he replied, "I just wanted that portal working – nothing else."

"Do you remember writing the Journals?" asked Dipper.

Stan massaged his temples.

"Only vaguely," he replied, "It's all a blur, like when you wake up after a – eh, you'll know the feeling when you're older."

"Do you know what happens when it's on for too..."

"_Yes_," grunted Stan, "What're you, the FBI?"

"Then _why?_" demanded Dipper, "Why do this?"

Stan reached into the bottom drawer of his desk and pulled out a picture in a frame. He handed it to Dipper, whose eyes widened.

"That's you!" he exclaimed, "And McGucket and...who's the other guy?"

"Stanley Lachlan Pines," replied Stan, "Your grandfather."

"But dad told me grandpa died when he was a kid," said Dipper.

"Of course he did!" scoffed Stan, "Do you think you'd have believed it if he said that your grandpa was trapped in a portal?"

"Before I came to Gravity Falls?" replied Dipper, "No."

"Exactly," nodded Stan, "I've been trying to get him back for thirty-odd years. I've had to relearn everything I had wiped from my memory, piece by piece."

He sighed.

"I don't care about the odds," he said wearily, "I don't care about the dangers. I just want my brother back."

"Do you think you ever will?" asked Dipper.

Stan didn't answer.

"You've gotta turn this thing off," said Dipper, "They have the notebook, they have the prophecy, this is all they need!"

"Would _you_ do that?" demanded Stan, "If it was Mabel stuck over there, would you do that?!"

"I..."

"Don't answer that, kid!" shouted Stan, getting to his feet and towering over Dipper, "You don't know! You don't _understand!_ So don't lecture me about what I should and shouldn't do with this portal!"

Dipper recoiled. There was a long silence.

Stan sighed heavily and knelt down, putting a hand on Dipper's shoulder.

"Look, about today," he said, "You ran five hundred miles away from home. You jumped into a portal into the unknown and took on a bunch of armed cultists."

"Yeah, I know, kinda irresponsible," sighed Dipper, "But I couldn't..."

"Dipper, I am so proud of you right now."

Dipper stared, his mind processing what his Grunkle had just said.

"_Proud?_"

"You're fighting back," replied Stan, "You're being your own man. You're standing up for what you think is right. Do you know how far you've come since you first got dumped on my porch, kid? Do you think that awkward, scrawny little kid would have the guts to stand up to Bill Cipher?"

Stan pulled Dipper into a hug.

"You've come a long way, Dipper," he said, "A very long way."

Dipper smiled and hugged back. They stayed that way for some time.

Eventually, Stan pulled out of the hug and stood up.

"We never tell your sister about that hug, right?" he said.

"Right," nodded Dipper.

"Good," said Stan, "Now head upstairs and get something in you, you're skin and bone."

"Do we have anything that isn't brown meat?" asked Dipper.

"What do I look like? Uncle Pennybags?" snapped Stan, "Brown meat's good for ya, kid! Rich in everything except price!"

Dipper chuckled to himself as he headed back to the elevator.

* * *

><p>Dipper didn't sleep much that night. He lay on the mattress, alternating between staring at the ceiling, watching muted late night TV and idly chatting with Wendy. Soos returned at about midnight, unsuccessful in his attempt to pick up Lonnighan's trail, and retired to the break room.<p>

Eventually, as the sun began to peek over the horizon, Dipper gave up and decided to attempt to make breakfast. Armed with limited knowledge on how the toaster and microwave worked, he managed to throw together soup and toast for himself, Soos, Wendy and Stan. Breakfast was quiet – the only real conversation was Stan telling Soos where he should go in his attempts to find the Cult of Bill.

At 7.30am, they heard a car pull up outside. Dipper glanced out the window to see a sleek-looking silver company car. A familiar man stepped out – Principal Lonnighan.

"Guys, I think we found him," gulped Dipper.

"And that's not all!"

The world outside turned grey as Bill materialised next to Lonnighan, arms crossed.

"Bring out Pine Tree!" demanded Bill, "We've got a little wager for him!"

* * *

><p>ILHVW BS LCSWLWK<p>

* * *

><p>AN: Oh dear.<p> 


	11. Chapter X: Ultimatum

More Bill! Yay!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter X: Ultimatum<strong>

Dipper took a deep breath and opened the door, Stan and Wendy behind him. Lonnighan raised an eyebrow as he came out and Bill lifted his hat. In the car behind them, Dipper could see Harry ducking down to avoid being seen by the demon triangle.

"What do you want now, Bill?" demanded Dipper.

"Is that any way to say 'hi' to an old friend, Pine Tree?" said Bill, "We just wanna talk, kid! We've got a wager for..."

"No," snarled Stan.

He stepped forward, fists clenched.

"Whatever you want, Cipher, you ask _me_," he growled, "Leave Dipper out of this, you hear me?"

Bill raised his eyebrow.

"Stanford Pines, it's been too long!" he said, extending his arms, "We need to catch up! Tell me, how's Stanley holding up these days? Oh wait, yeah, he..."

Stan roared and lunged at Bill. Bill nonchalantly took off his hat and tipped it sideways.

The whole world tipped ninety degrees. Dipper, Wendy and Stan fell backwards, slamming into the walls of the Mystery Shack – Lonnighan, who seemed unaffected, smirked and crossed his arms.

"Attacking a demon, Stanford," he said, "Not a good move."

Stan winced and gave the Principal a rather rude gesture. Bill floated over, hands behind his back.

"Sorry, Mackerel," he scoffed, "I'm not dealing with you. I'm dealing with _destiny_."

He put his hat back on. The world righted itself – Dipper, Stan and Wendy slid onto the balcony. Lonnighan strode up to them.

"As my liege informed you, Mr. Pines," he said, "We have a wager for you."

"I'm not making any more deals with you, Bill," snapped Dipper, "I'm not an idiot!"

"Wagers and deals are not the same thing, Mr. Pines," said Lonnighan, disdainfully, "No wonder Mr. Vought was failing you in English."

"We've got something of yours, Pine Tree," said Bill, "Something I think you'll want back."

He snapped his fingers. A large, triangular hologram appeared next to him – Dipper could see a car driving down the road to Gravity Falls. His jaw dropped – it was his father's car.

His father was driving – Mabel sat in the front seat. In the back middle seat, Eddie Hohenbecker was quietly reading a book. The boy seemed to have a black eye.

"Mabel!" exclaimed Dipper, "And dad! And...and what's Eddie doing there?"

"Poor fella felt guilty after getting your notebook stolen," shrugged Bill.

"I had thought Harry's..._persuasion_ would keep him out of this," muttered Lonnighan.

_"__Alright,"_ said Dipper's father, _"Just making it clear – if your mother asks, we're camping."_

_"__Got it, dad!"_ nodded Mabel, saluting.

_"__And if your dad asks,"_ Dipper's father said to Eddie, _"Tell him..."_

_"__I probably won't tell him anything,"_ shrugged Eddie, _"He doesn't really care that-"_

There was a loud crash. Dipper's father gripped the steering wheel and slammed on the brakes as the car spun to a halt. They had hit something – Dipper couldn't see what.

Dipper's father climbed out of the car, shaking his head.

_"__Are you blind?_" he yelled at something behind him, _"You could have kill..."_

He trailed off as a rifle barrel emerged from the edge of the holographic screen.

_"__Sorry, Pines senior,"_ Dipper heard Angus say, _"But we'll be taking them."_

There was a loud crashing noise, and the screen went dark for several seconds. When the darkness faded, Dipper's father was climbing to his feet next to the road, his condition much more dishevelled then it had been before. His car was gone.

_"__Oh...oh god,"_ he said, shaking his head, _"Mabel...MABEL!"_

The holgraphic screen disappeared. Dipper realised he was clenching his fists. He looked over to Stan – the old man's face was red.

"So, I'm guessing ya wanna see Shooting Star again?" asked Bill, "Well, here's what you can..."

"If you touch a hair on her head," snarled Stan, "I _swear_, I am going to..."

"Mr. Cipher is talking, Stanford," interrupted Lonnighan, "Please let him."

"Thanks Lonnighan!" nodded Bill, "Anyway, if you ever wanna see Shooting Star again, Pine Tree..."

He pointed to one of the mountains overlooking Gravity Falls.

"Top of Mount Northwest," he said, "Tonight. We'll have a nice little fight – you versus me! Winner gets Mabel Pines, loser dies!"

"You're toying with me, Bill," said Dipper, crossing his arms, "I'm not gonna..."

"Yep!" said Bill, happily, "I'm toying with ya! I'll even admit it! But you know what? You've been playing into my hands so often these last few days! It's _boring!_ So I'd thought I'd cook up something interesting for the finale, huh?"

"Simple choice, Mr. Pines," sneered Lonnighan, "Come to us, or your sister and Hohenbecker die."

"How do we know you actually have them?" demanded Wendy, "How do we know this isn't a trick?"

"Are you willing to take that chance?" replied Bill.

There was a long silence.

"I didn't think so," said Bill, "Top of Mount Northwest, tonight. We'll have a party! Dress up, Pine Tree, bring a plus one! I'll make cake!"

He snapped his fingers. A cake appeared next to him – it seemed to be iced in blood.

"Well, we'll be seeing you, kid," said Bill, "Oh, and don't expect the town to rally around you or anything – we took care of that."

His form caught fire and burnt out of existence. The colour returned to the surrounding world.

Lonnighan turned and began to walk back to his car. Stan took to opportunity to lunge at the Principal – he instead ran straight into an invisible wall.

"Get back here!" Stan thundered, shaking his fist in range and frustration, "You think you can mess with my family! _I'll pull your spine out and use it to tie up my pig, you hear me?!_"

Dipper heard a strange noise. He, Stan and Wendy looked down. Gompers was happily eating the cake Bill had conjured.

"Is there anything that goat won't eat?" mused Stan.

"What did he mean about the town not helping us?" asked Wendy.

The door flew open.

"Dudes!" exclaimed Soos, "You gotta come see this!"

* * *

><p><em>"<em>_...fire front currently extending across the Oregon interior. Several settlements are now being threatened in what is now being considered the largest firestorm in local history. We go live to Shandra Jimenez in the area. What is the situation, Shandra?"_

Dipper, Stan, Wendy and Soos watched the news in the living room. Shandra Jimenez was standing in the woods, the haze of smoke all around. Fire trucks were moving into position, and a very serious-looking man with a bushy moustache and a shirt and tie under his fire gear was standing next to her.

_"__I'm here with Superintendent Anson of the Oregon Volunteer Fire-fighters Association,"_ said Shandra, _"Superintendent, how bad is this?"_

_"__I've been in this job for ten years, ma'am,"_ replied Anson, _"I've never seen anything like this. A lot of towns are in supreme danger at the moment – most pressingly Gravity Falls."_

"Dang it, Bill," whispered Dipper.

_"__If we can't put this out by tomorrow morning,"_ continued Anson, _"Gravity Falls will probably be destroyed."_

_"__How likely is it that you'll put it out, Superintendent?"_ asked Shandra.

_"__If I lived in Gravity Falls,"_ replied Anson, _"I'd be running about now."_

Shandra's eyes widened and she seemed to need a second to collect herself again.

_"__Um...yes, thank you Superintendent,"_ nodded Shandra, _"Citizens of Gravity Falls have already responded to the fire department's call for help. You can see some of them behind me."_

Manly Dan ran into the screen behind her, carrying a large barrel of water.

_"__I'm gonna _punch_ this fire out!"_ he thundered, _"No weakling fire is burnin' down Manly Dan's house!"_

Tyler followed him into the frame, egging on the massive lumberjack.

_"__Get 'em! Get 'em!"_

_"__We'll keep you updated as news on the fire develops,"_ finished Shandra, _"This is Shandra Jimenez, back to you..."_

Stan turned off the TV.

"Alright," he said, "They kidnap me, threaten my family and now they wanna burn down my home. Pardon my French, but this crap won't stand."

"He said he'd give Mabel back if I beat him," mused Dipper, "But how the heck am I supposed to beat a demon?"

"What's this _'I'_ stuff, Dipper?" demanded Wendy, "We're in this together, man."

"But Wendy, I can't..."

"No, I've seen this," grunted Stan, "Sometimes I watch the movie channel at night. Every time the hero goes off on his own, his friends follow him – probably because they're stupid lemmings. That's what's gonna happen if you go up Mount Northwest on your own. We're not having this argument, kid."

"Yeah, we're your lemmings, dude," nodded Soos.

"Are you sure I can't convince you to..." began Dipper.

"_Dipper_," snapped Stan.

"Sorry Grunkle Stan," muttered Dipper.

Dipper pulled out the Journal, skimming through it.

"I just...there's no answers in here," he said, "I mean, there could be stuff we could use...height-altering crystal, no...perceptshooms, nuh-uh...truth-telling teeth, nope..."

"Try the black light on the Bill Cipher page," suggested Stan.

All eyes fell on him.

"What?" shrugged Stan, "It just sorta came to me."

Dipper shrugged and walked over to his bag, which was resting against the wall. He pulled out the black light and shone it over the page. His eyes widened.

_BILL CIPHER CAN BE DEFEATED!_

_LEGENDS SPEAK OF A CHILD OF DESTINY THAT WILL BE ABLE TO BEAT BILL WITH THE HELP OF THE BOOK IN THE GRAVITY FALLS LIBRARY._

_I SHOULD TELL SOMEONE – FIND THE CHILD!_

The last sentence was crossed out, replaced with barely legible scrawl.

**_CANNOT SHOW THE BOOK TO ANYBODY. CANNOT TRUST ANYBODY. FIDDLEFORD IS GONE STANLEY IS GONE WHO ELSE IS THERE?_**

**_STILL CAN'T SLEEP!_**

"Okay, this one was probably written towards the end," mused Stan, "God, I never knew how far I'd gone..."

"At least you didn't end up like McGucket, Mr. Pines," reassured Soos.

"OK," said Wendy, "So we need to get the book. Which will be up on the mountain. With Bill."

"We need a plan," sighed Dipper, rubbing his temples.

There was a knock on the door. Stan groaned and walked over, eyes narrowed.

"Can't you see we're close..." he demanded, throwing open the door.

He trailed off.

"Hello, Uncle Stan," said Dipper's father.

* * *

><p>UCH POCL XZ IP HFDCTZSI<p>

* * *

><p>AN: That awkward moment when you realise you're going off to save the world with your dad.<p> 


	12. Chapter XI: Ascent

We're getting close to the final stretch! :D

Guest review replies;

**Guest:** ...go on, go on. Thanks for reading!

**BillCipher5off:** Thanks, mate!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter XI: Ascent<strong>

Dipper and company sat around the kitchen table. It was just past noon, and the sky outside was slowly turning dark from the smoke of the fast approaching fires. Dipper's father had been patched up, but he still looked somewhat worse for wear.

"Alright, so we're gonna need to get the book and Mabel out before we try to take on Bill," mused Stan, "Any ideas?"

"We could split up?" suggested Soos.

"Soos, that never works," snapped Stan.

"No, he might be onto something," said Dipper's father, "I mean, he can't stop us all at once if we split into teams..."

"So he can take us out piecemeal," grunted Stan, "Simon, you were never the smart kid, were you?"

"That's why we get help," explained Dipper's father, "Way I see it, there's probably about half the town left in Gravity Falls. We can build a distraction team from them."

"So let me get this straight," said Stan, "You wanna form a strike-force out of teenagers and the elderly?"

"More like a decoy team," replied Dipper's father, "Keep the cultists busy while we slip in and grab the book and Mabel."

"That's...actually a pretty good idea," nodded Stan, "Alright, Soos, you're on that. Find us a team."

"You got it, Mr. Pines," said Soos, standing up and saluting.

"Alright," said Stan, "We'll also need a team each for the book and Mabel. I'll lead the second. Any volunteers..."

"I volunteer to save my daughter," interrupted Dipper's father.

"Looks like we're Team Book, then," shrugged Wendy, putting a hand on Dipper's shoulder.

"I'm not sure about that," replied Dipper's father, warily, "You're both still kids. Stan, maybe you should..."

"Simon, they can handle themselves," replied Stan, "If any other kid did half the stuff Dipper did last summer, they'd be dead. Besides, the kid needs to stand up on his own two feet – you can't watch him forever."

Simon crossed his arms.

"You're not a very conventional carer, you know that Stan?" he noted.

"I'm not a very conventional _anything_, kid," replied Stan, "That's why I'm not still in Columbia. Now, I've got a niece to save and a triangle to kick. Everyone ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," muttered Dipper.

He looked out the window at the looming form of Mount Northwest. The sun was now hidden behind the red smoke, turning the mountain into a dark, looming shadow.

It didn't bode well.

* * *

><p>The old mountin road hadn't been maintained in years. It was long, winding and treacherous, passing alongside sheer cliffs and deep ravines. As a result, driving up the glorified track in the Mystery Cart and Stan's newly re-tyred car was slow going.<p>

Dipper sat in the passenger seat of the Cart, gazing out over the town far below. In the distance, he could see the fires lining the distant hills, sending plumes of smoke into the sky. He was trying to tell himself that he wasn't scared, but deep down he knew he was lying – he was absolutely terrified of what was coming next.

"You okay, Dipper? You're pretty quiet."

Dipper turned to the driver's seat. Wendy had glanced over to him, sending him a slightly worried look.

"I'm fine," replied Dipper, "I'm just..."

He sighed.

"Okay, I'm _not_ fine," he admitted, "I'm scared. I'm scared of what's happening to Mabel, I'm scared of having to deal with Lonnighan, and..."

He buried his head in his hands.

"...and I'm gonna have to deal with Bill and I have no idea how," he said.

"Everyone's scared, man," reassured Wendy, "But we're all aboard with this, Dip – we're right behind you."

Dipper nodded, but didn't seem convinced.

"Why do I have to be this 'Child of Destiny?'" asked Dipper, "Why can't I just be normal? If I had just _fit in_ like everyone else, none of this would have happened!"

"Do you want to?"

Dipper looked at Wendy and tilted his head.

"Do I wanna what?" he asked.

"Do you want to fit in?" said Wendy, "Do you want to be like the other kids?"

Memories ran through Dipper's head.

_"__Besides, it's not like anybody likes you or anything."_

_"__The kid's a maniac. They found him screaming at his lunch yesterday. Freak."_

_"__Was school this boring before I went to Gravity Falls? Or is it just this school? Ugh, I wish something exciting would happen."_

"No," said Dipper, "I don't wanna be normal."

"Didn't think so," nodded Wendy, "And would you have missed any of this?"

Dipper smiled a little.

"No," he replied, "I don't think I would."

"Well, there you go," said Wendy, smiling, "And you know what else? I bet Mabel would say the same thing."

"I _know_ she would," nodded Dipper.

He looked up at the peak of the mountain.

"Feeling any better?" asked Wendy.

"Well, I'm still terrified," replied Dipper, "But I think I feel a bit more ready now."

"Glad to hear it, dude," said Wendy, "Because we've got a book to find and a Mabel to save!"

There was a brief silence.

"So, who was the other kid?" asked Wendy, "You know, that Eddie guy?"

"He's an anti-friend," chuckled Dipper.

* * *

><p>Dipper knelt behind a rocky crag. Darkness had come early, and with it came the cold – all the bitterer for the height of the mountain. Stan lay next to him, holding onto an old walkie-talkie – he was wearing an army surplus helmet he had found in the Mystery Shack's storeroom. Wendy and Dipper's father were huddled on either side of them.<p>

They were looking down over the mouth of a cave, guarded by cultists in yellow robes. Two of them were leaning against the small cliff the group had gathered above – they were talking about the day's events.

"So what happened to the feds?" asked the tall man, "You know, those two MiBs we caught at the Shack?"

"Lonnighan's still deciding what to do with them," shrugged the short man, "I reckon they'll get concrete shoes."

"Concrete sh...hold on there, _John Dillinger_, we're talking about _federal agents_ here!" exclaimed the tall man.

"Come tomorrow, Uncle Sam won't matter anymore," replied the short man, "Also, John Dillinger was more of a _bank robber_ then a _gangster_, you'd want Al..."

He trailed off as he heard a distant engine.

"Well, looks like our guests are here," he said.

"I didn't think he'd actually try it," mused the tall man, "Kid's got guts, I'll give him that."

They gazed out into the darkness.

"...shouldn't we be hearing brakes about now?" asked the short man.

With a mighty squeal, a blue van tore around the corner, speeding towards the two cultists and the cliff. The men screamed and leapt out of the way as the van slammed into the rocky wall – the car alarm immediately went off.

Soos leapt out of the passenger seat, pointing at the quickly gathering cultists.

"Get 'em, dudes!" he shouted.

Thompson slunk out the other side and gazed at the front of the car.

"Aw, _man_," he lamented, "My mom's gonna kill me..."

"What are you gawking at?" shouted a cultist, "_Get them!_"

The back doors to the van were flung open. McGucket, Soos' grandma, the teenagers, Candy and Grenda jumped out, each of them carrying a blunt instrument of some kind (save Tambry, who still had her phone out.)

"Y'all better stay back!" shouted McGucket, "I been known to bite sometimes!"

The cultists charged into the team – Soos, Nate, Lee and McGucket began to ward them off with their weapons. Soos' grandma walked towards the tall man and the short man, fists clenched.

"Ah, how sweet," scoffed the tall man, "Grandma thinks she can help. Look, why don't you run on back to-"

Soos' grandma viciously uppercut him in the stomach before swinging around and kicking the short man between the legs. She crossed her arms as the two men fell to the ground, wincing in pain.

"Stay away from Soos, you _pinchazos!_" she growled.

"Note to self," muttered Stan, "Do _not_ cross Soos' grandma."

"Shouldn't we get going?" whispered Dipper's father, "They're supposed to be our distraction, after all."

"Alright, guys" nodded Dipper, "Let's do this."

The group slunk along the cliff-side towards the mouth of the cave. Stan jumped down first, then his father.

"Wait until we're clear," hissed Dipper's father, "Then follow on. If you hear anything weird, _run_. Stay safe, Dipper."

"You got it, dad," nodded Dipper.

Dipper's father and Stan slipped into the cave, unnoticed among the cacophony of the fight next to Thompson's van. Dipper and Wendy waited about half-a-minute before dropping down and heading into the cave.

It was an odd feeling, walking into the cave. Despite what he'd expected, Dipper felt his fear disappear, replaced by a new feeling – resolve. He now knew exactly what he had to do. He was going to grab that book, he was going to save Mabel and he was going to bring down Bill Cipher once and for all.

Or he would die trying.

* * *

><p>EHUAEEG REQUCXD GRMFM NZO<p>

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><p>AN: It only gets harder from here, Dipping Sauce.<p> 


	13. Chapter XII: Harry

Harry's back! ...yay?

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><p><strong>Chapter XII: Harry<strong>

The cave was long, dark and cold. Dipper hugged himself in an attempt to keep warm as they crept through the shadows, hoping that there were no cultists heading the other way.

_"__This is the Fez to Short Stuff, come in Short Stuff."_

Dipper groaned and pulled out his walkie-talkie.

"I thought we said that I was gonna be the Dipper Max," he hissed.

_"__Too stupid – I changed it,"_ replied Stan, _"Fork in the tunnel ahead – we went left, and we seem to be in some kind of large cavern. We can see the sky, and there seems to be a lot of magma..."_

"...are you telling me Mount Northwest is an _active volcano?_" demanded Dipper.

_"__Well, it wasn't this morning,"_ replied Stan, _"But we're dealing with Bill here, so anything's possible. Anyway, there's some kind of cage hanging from the roof, but I can't see inside. Could be Mabel."_

"Could be a trap," muttered Wendy.

_"__Oh yeah, it's definitely a trap,"_ said Stan, _"We're just trying to work out if it's worth tripping off. If we do, it's gonna get pretty..._active_ in here. Anyway, when you get to the fork, turn right."_

"Got it," nodded Dipper.

_"__One more thing,"_ said Dipper's father, _"There's no sign of Bill or Lonnighan, so keep an eye out."_

"I will, good luck dad," said Dipper.

He put the walkie-talkie back in his vest.

Before long, they reached the fork Stan had mentioned. One tunnel twisted off into darkness, a hot wind billowing through towards them. The other tunnel led downwards, deeper into the mountain. This one was bitterly freezing.

"Yep," nodded Dipper, "Send the guy in short sleeves into the cold tunnel. _Thanks, Stan._"

"Come on," said Wendy, "Let's get this over with."

Dipper and Wendy crept into the tunnel. It was pitch black – Dipper brought out the black light and turned it on.

"Wow," breathed Wendy.

The walls of the cavern were covered in ancient artwork, depicting strange symbols and figures and labelled with ancient text. Most of them, Dipper could not even comprehend, but some he felt he could recognise.

"Is that..._me?_" he whispered.

The image he was looking at displayed a small figure, coloured in blue and orange, standing in front of the unmistakable form of Bill Cipher. The small figure was surrounded by other small figures, painted in dull grey – a taller figure stood next to the coloured figure, and seemed to be shouting at it.

"That's me!" exclaimed Dipper, "That's when I had that vision at school! But what's it doing painted here?"

"Take a look at this one, Dip," said Wendy, pointing at a drawing on the roof.

This image was more detailed than the other, and showed a picture of Dipper, sans hat, eyes closed and arms outstretched at a forty-five degree angle. Behind him was the symbol on the cover of the '3' Journal. There was a long scrawl underneath, but Dipper couldn't understand it.

"Okay, this is getting _real_ freaky," said Dipper, nervously, "What do you say we keep going?"

"Right, yeah," nodded Wendy, "Probably should get that book..."

They continued down the tunnel, leaving the strange artwork behind.

Before too long, they began to make out a pale yellow light in the distance. They emerged into a small chamber, surrounded by short rock faces on all sides except one, which bordered a long drop. There was no roof, and they could see the top of the cave far, far above them. A small rock sat in the middle of the cavern – upon which was the book.

"Well, we found it," said Dipper, smiling, "Let's see what it says!"

He walked up to the book, reaching out and picking it up.

"Heh," he chuckled, "Didn't even booby trap-"

"Hello, Mr. Pines."

Harry leapt out from behind the rock, grabbing Dipper by the collar. Wendy ran out of the tunnel towards them, but then there was a loud bang and a hole was made in the rocky surface in front of her. She skidded to a halt.

Lonnighan stood on top of one of the cliffs, his arms crossed – next to him was a cultist with a rifle. The principal looked down on Dipper, sneering.

"I'm impressed!" he said, "I didn't think you'd come, Mr. Pines! I knew there was something special about you."

He made a show of sighing heavily.

"But I'm afraid this is the end of the line," he said, "Harry?"

Harry hurled Dipper hard into the ground. The book was thrown away – Wendy managed to grab it before it fell over the cliff.

Dipper coughed and tried to stand up. Harry slammed his foot on his chest hard, winding him and sending him into a coughing fit.

"That's it, good boy, Harry," said Lonnighan.

"You don't have to do this, Harry," spluttered Dipper.

"I do, Pines," growled Harry, "I have to do it, I-I want to do it!"

"Well then, here we go," sighed Dipper.

Harry lifted his foot to stomp him again – Dipper took the opportunity to grab it and tug it upwards, flipping the lanky boy onto his back. Dipper got to his feet and grabbed Harry by the collar, lifting him up close to his face.

"This isn't schoolyard bullying, Harry!" exclaimed Dipper, "He wants you to _kill _me!"

"I have to do it!" Harry shouted, "Dad's trained me for this for years! I won't fail him!"

He slammed his fist into Dipper's cheek, knocking him off his feet. The two tumbled onto the ground, exchanging punches as they shouted at each other.

"Harry, open your eyes!" exclaimed Dipper, ducking under Harry's left hook, "Your dad is _evil!_ He's using you as a weapon!"

"Don't knock my dad, Pines!" thundered Harry, booting Dipper right in the kneecap, "You don't know what I have-what he has to go through!"

"Come on, Harold!" snapped Lonnighan, "Go for the knock-out!"

"Harry, _please_," shouted Dipper, "Once you do this, you can't come back. You don't have to..."

"_Yes I do!_" screamed Harry.

He grabbed a rock and slammed it against Dipper's head. Everything turned blurry – Dipper's head rang with pain and he could barely hear a thing. He felt like he was being dragged along the rocks.

"...she does that again, go for the head," he heard Lonnighan say, "I don't care what Bill wants, this is between the boy and Pines. Understood?"

Dipper's vision cleared. Harry was holding him over the edge of the cliff – far below, Dipper could see jagged rocks ringed by magma.

"H-Harry," he whimpered, "Please, you don't have to..."

"Harold! You're taking too long! Drop him!"

Harry glanced back towards his father.

"But...but he'll die," he stammered.

"Yes!" exclaimed Lonnighan, as if he was talking to a small child, "That is the intention, boy, you're going to kill him! Now do it!"

Harry grabbed Dipper by both shoulders, holding him further over the cliff. He looked his victim straight in the eye.

Harry was red-faced and covered in bruises. His eyes were moist, and he was shaking terribly. His knuckles were white, and he was clutching Dipper very hard. His lip was trembling. He looked like he was about to be sick.

The fiction that was Harry Lonnighan, master of the hallways and all-powerful bully, peeled away, and Dipper finally saw him plain. He saw a normal child, desperate for approval, forced into events far beyond his control by the machinations of others.

The third thing Dipper learned about Harry Lonnighan was that he was not evil. He was, deep down, just a scared kid who wanted to impress his father.

"I can't do it," whimpered Harry.

He pulled Dipper back onto firm ground, putting him down half-a-metre from the side.

"Harold, you useless runt! What do you think you're doing?!" thundered Lonnighan, "I said kill him! _Kill him!_"

Harry didn't react. He walked straight to the tunnel, shaking his head. As his father screamed at him, he vanished into the darkness.

"Argh! Useless!" cursed Lonnighan, "If you want something done properly..."

There was a metallic clang. The gunman looked down – a grappling hook was affixed to his shoulder.

In the confusion, it seemed that Wendy had fished the grappling hook from Dipper's bag.

Wendy smirked and retracted the hook, dragging the gunman face-first into the ground and knocking him out. The rifle bounced off into the ravine.

Lonnighan turned to Wendy, his face twisting into a frown.

"Oh, you petulant..."

Suddenly, a figure leapt at him from behind, shoving him off the rock face and into the ground. The figure recovered quickly, lifting him up by the tie.

"Stay away from my nephew!" bellowed Stan.

Lonnighan feebly tried to uppercut Stan, only for the older man to grab his arm mid-motion. He returned the gesture with his own punch – a left hook, right into Lonnighan's jaw.

The principal was sent sprawling into the ground. He had barely time to recover before Stan grabbed him again, this time by the shoulders, and lifted him over the drop.

"No-no, sir! Don't do it! I'll give you anything!" begged Lonnighan, "I'll pay the boy into private school, I'll provide compensation to your employees, I'll..."

"The only reason I'm not dropping you," hissed Stan, "Is because you have a son. If you _ever_ come near Dipper and Mabel again, I won't be so kind."

He swung Lonnighan into the large rock at the centre of the chamber, knocking him out cold.

There was a long silence. Dipper and Wendy gazed at Stan, jaws dropped.

"Well, that was...wow," said Dipper.

"Oh..._oh, _my back hurts," muttered Stan, shifting his shoulders and cracking his back.

"And the effect is ruined," muttered Wendy.

On the rock face above, Dipper's father walked into view, holding what looked like Agent Trigger over his shoulder. Mabel, Eddie and Agent Powers followed him.

_"__Mabel!"_ exclaimed Dipper, beaming.

"_Dipper!_" exclaimed Mabel.

She made to jump down to Dipper – her father's hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"Mabes, you are not your Grunkle," he said, somewhat jovially, "You can't survive jumping off a small cliff without breaking both legs."

"You're no fun," muttered Mabel, before blowing a raspberry.

"Wait, are those the Feds?" quizzed Wendy.

"It's okay," shrugged Stan, "They owe us now. They won't try anything."

Powers glared at him but said nothing.

"Okay, now that the reunion's done," said Eddie, "We've got problems, Pines. Bill's with that Angus guy at the base of the mountain – we think they've been building their own portal and now they have what they need to get it working."

He grabbed the side of the cliff and shimmied down to Dipper's level.

"If there's anything in that book that can help us, we need it now," he said, warily.

"We're gonna double back and take the tunnel!" called Dipper's father, "We'll be back in five!"

"And when we do," added Mabel, "You gun' get hugged, Dipping Sauce!"

Dipper chuckled as Mabel and her group walked away.

"...okay, let me see," muttered Eddie, opening up the book on the ground as Dipper, Wendy and Stan hovered over him, "Spells, spells, wards, tax records for ancient Babylon...wait, what the heck is _this?_"

Dipper squinted at the page Eddie had found. It was labelled '_for the eyes of a Child of Destiny only._' It contained what looked like a set of instructions, and there was a drawing of Bill Cipher on the adjacent page.

"Alright," mused Eddie, "I'm gonna need to decrypt this...I'm seeing Sumerian, ancient Hindi, traces of Hebrew..."

"Dude, you can't read that?" quizzed Wendy.

"No," replied Eddie, "I'm not a linguist, I can't magically translate things, even as smart as I am..."

"Eddie," Dipper pointed out, "It's in plain English."

"Plain English?" quizzed Stan, "Dipper, _this_ is not plain English! _This_ is what they put in DIY manuals to throw people off! This..."

"Maybe you can't read it because it says it's only for the Child of Destiny at the top," shrugged Dipper.

"Ah," nodded Stan, "Good point, kid. What's it..."

"Then why can _I_ read it?" demanded Wendy.

There was a long silence.

"You can read this," repeated Stan, flatly.

"...yeah," replied Wendy.

"Wait a minute," said Dipper, "It says it's for 'a' Child of Destiny, not 'the' Child of Destiny...and the pedestal, back in the library..."

_In the middle of the room, there was an old, leather book on a stone tablet – the words 'CHILD OF DESTINY' were engraved below. The word 'CHILD' seemed off-centre._

"...it's not _Child_ of Destiny," Dipper whispered.

All eyes fell on Wendy.

"It's _Children_ of Destiny," she realised.

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><p>K IEF ZSL EHNZPX XWLSE XLRV AHQ PXYGY OZFW RTL<p>

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><p>AN: What a twist!<p> 


	14. Chapter XIII: Bill

I'm not sure I'm very good at writing fight scenes, but I'm pretty happy with this one.

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><p><strong>Chapter XIII: Bill<strong>

Dipper, Wendy, Stan, Mabel and Eddie were crouched behind a curve in the cave, looking over a large chamber. A narrow rise led to a large, crude portal in the middle of the cavern – far below this was a lake of bubbling magma. Angus stood in front of the portal, his arms behind his back – two other cultists stood on either side of him, armed with rifles. A fourth cultist stood by what looked like a generator.

"Those idiots are actually gonna try it, aren't they?" whispered Stan.

"Cultists aren't usually rational, Mr. Pines," said Eddie.

Angus turned to the cultists around him.

"Alright, gentlemen!" he proclaimed, "The time we have awaited is at hand! Once this portal is active, Bill Cipher will be able to take physical form in our world, and we shall enter a bold new age!"

"Wait, _that's_ what this is about?" whispered Dipper, "Can't Bill already possess people?"

"I don't like the sound of this," muttered Stan.

"Michael," ordered Angus, "Turn it on."

The cultist by the geneator flipped a switch. There was a thunderous roar, and the portal activated – a red swirling mass appearing inside.

There was a sudden flash, and the world turned grey. Bill appeared next to Angus, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Real nice work there, Andrew!" he said.

"Angus," corrected Angus.

"Eh, you're pretty minor," shrugged Bill, "I don't really have to remember your name."

He stretched.

"Oh..._oh yeah, _that's a good feeling," he said, "Do you feel it, Angus? The feeling of your essence flowing into the material realm? The raw increase of power? _Man_, it's a feeling..."

He floated up, crossing his arms.

"You'd done a real good job, faithful drone a' mine," he said, "And I think a good job should be rewarded."

"My liege, I did not do this for the reward," replied Angus, "Your praise is good..."

"Oh, stop with the bootlicking," snapped Bill, "I mean come on, I'm not even wearing boots! I'm thinking...I'm gonna channel my essence into you and see what happens!"

"My liege?" quizzed Angus.

"Yeah, I'll manifest onto you," decided Bill, "It'll be a pretty fun experiment! Just a heads up, though..."

He turned red, and his voice became deep.

"This is gonna _hurt_."

A bolt of red lighting emerged from the portal, striking Angus right in the heart. He began to scream as he was slowly lifted into the air.

"Oh come on!" shrugged Bill, "It's just unimaginable, unfathomable pain! You humans are _such _drama queens..."

"_I-I did everything you wanted!_" screamed Angus, _"Why? Why do this?"_

"Because it's _fun_," replied Bill, "And I wanted to see what would happen."

He clicked his fingers and vanished.

Yellow lines began to mark Angus' skin. His arms and legs began to stretch, muscles growing in strange places underneath. His fingers turned into long, slender claws. The back of his robes ripped open and there was a sickening crack as a second pair of arms emerged from his back. Terrified, the other cultists raised their rifles and stepped back.

Angus screamed again and turned around to face his companions. A stone point was emerging from the top of his head.

"Uh, kids?" gulped Stan, "I've got an idea of what's gonna happen next, and you _might_ wanna look..."

It was too late. Angus' face began to distort as his skull changed shape, turning into a stone pyramid. His eyes caught aflame with red fire and disintegrated into the wind. Parts of his skin began to flake off.

Angus' screaming began to segue into familiar laughter. His arms grabbed the skin around his face, tearing it off as if it were wrapping paper to reveal the pyramid beneath. A single eye gazed down on the cultists.

"Ah yeah!" exclaimed Bill, "This feels better than I thought it would! Consider yourself rewarded, whatever-your-name-was!"

"Well," muttered Eddie, "_That_ is gonna haunt me."

The cultists opened fire in panic.

"Oh, come on!" said Bill, shrugging off the bullets, "Is that any way to treat your lord and master? You guys need a time out."

He reached out with one long arm, slamming into both cultists and shoving them off the side of the ledge. He reached for the third cultist with the other arm, nonchalantly throwing the poor, screaming man into the magma pit.

"Ha!" exclaimed Bill, "Stupid, gullible animals!"

He pointed towards the mouth of the cave.

"So, Pine Tree?" he called, "I know you're there! We gonna fight this out or what?"

Dipper gulped, but stepped out. Stan reached out to stop him, but Dipper pushed his arm away.

"Well," he said, "Here I am."

"Well, I gotta admit, kid," said Bill, "I didn't honestly expect you to make it this far. I'm actually kinda proud."

"You know what," shrugged Dipper, "So am I."

"Ya did good, Pine Tree..."

"_Dipper_," said Dipper, "Call me Dipper."

There was a short silence.

"Sure," nodded Bill, "I can give you that last request, _Dipper_. Now, you wanna do this quick or slow? I mean, you're completely unarmed and you're not exactly the Terminator, so..."

"Uh, three things...three things before you kill me," interrupted Dipper, "Number one – all of your Cult of Bill guys, they all use cell phones to communicate, right?"

"...sure," replied Bill, hesitantly.

"Well, wouldn't it just suck if I happened to know some kind of, I dunno, _phonoholic teenager_ who happened to have an app designed to knock out those cell phones?"

Bill glanced at the ground. One of the cultists had dropped their phone – the screen was blinking red.

"Well, so much for backup," shrugged Dipper, "Number two; that generator. That's what the portal's using for power, right?"

"Well...yes, yes it is," nodded Bill, "What're you gettin' at, kid?"

"We'll get to that," replied Dipper, "Number three; I'm not actually _the_ Child of Destiny."

Bill blinked.

"Uh...yeah, you are," replied Bill, "I'm not an idiot, kid."

"I'm _a_ Child of Destiny, Bill," said Dipper, "There's another one. And I'm distracting you so that she can get to the generator."

"..._what?!_"

Bill turned around. Wendy had crept past him to the generator – she smirked and pulled the switch.

"_No!_" exclaimed Bill.

The portal began to spark, it's power source cut off. It didn't die, however – instead, it began to ripple and groan, more bolts of lightning emerging from the swirling mass. Bill screamed and turned around.

"Oh, why would you do that?" demanded Bill, "Turn it back on!"

"Why don't you _make_ me, pyramid head?" retorted Wendy.

"I think I will, Red," snarled Bill.

He lunged at Wendy, extending one of his long, slender arms towards her. She sidestepped the limb, whipped out her axe and slammed it into the arm – there was a wet crunch, and the limb came off. Bill let out an animalistic roar.

"Oh, you stupid little-" he thundered, his voice turning deep, "That's it! You're outta here!"

His third arm swept low towards Wendy, catching her by surprise. He grabbed Wendy's leg and lifted her up, his head slowly turning red. Behind him, the portal began to ripple more and more.

"Dipper, catch!"

Dipper winced as a heavy metal object slammed into the back of his head.

"Mabel!" he exclaimed.

He knelt down and picked up the grappling hook, aiming it at Bill's shoulder. He took a deep breath and fired – there was a clang as it hooked Bill and a slight hiss of pain before Dipper pressed the 'retract' button.

Dipper flew through the air, colliding with Bill's shoulder. He looked over to Wendy – she nodded and threw him the axe. Dipper grabbed it by the handle and brought it down into Bill's chest. Bill screeched and dropped Wendy onto the ground.

"Augh! Why do you even _have_ an axe, Pine Tree?" demanded Bill.

Dipper said nothing. He just fired the grappling hook into the side of the portal.

"You missed kid!" shouted Bill, "Nice job!"

He raised an arm, reaching for Dipper.

"Far from it," replied Dipper.

He jumped off of Bill's shoulder, using the grabbling hook as a swing as he swung around his arm, tangling it in the cord. He dropped off of Bill after wrapping his arm three times. He looked towards the portal and gulped.

"Well, this is the hard part," he muttered.

"What did _that_ accomplish, Pine Tree?" scoffed Bill, "You tangled up my arm! Whatever shall I do?"

Dipper felt an arm around his shoulder. Wendy had grabbed him from behind with one arm and was holding the other out.

"You sure you're up to this?" asked Dipper, "I mean, if you _miss_..."

"Dude, we'll be fine," replied Wendy, "Just retract it, alright?"

"Retract? What do you mean...no..._no, don't you dare!_" exclaimed Bill.

"Sorry, Bill," replied Dipper, smirking, "But I read the manual. You put your whole essence into Angus – which means all we have to do is throw you back into that portal and you're stuck forever."

"Hit it, Dip," grinned Wendy.

Dipper closed his eyes and pressed the retract button.

Bill, Dipper and Wendy were sent flying forward towards the portal. For a second, Dipper could hear Mabel and Stan shout his name.

Then there was a strange sensation, like falling into water without getting wet, and Dipper felt his momentum suddenly halted. The arm in which he held the grappling hook stretched out and he cried out in pain.

He opened his eyes.

Bill – now back in his regular triangular form – was gripping the hook with all his might, gazing up at the Children of Destiny. They were floating in a strange, colourful vortex, almost like a tunnel but not quite. The wind was immense.

"You're gonna let go, aren't ya, Pine Tree?" asked Bill, sounding strangely accepting.

Dipper nodded sternly.

"Well, I had a good go," shrugged Bill, "Maybe I'll try a different reality."

"Dipper!" called Wendy, "You have to let him go! I can't hold on much longer!"

Dipper eased his grip on the hook, only for Bill to grab his arm.

"No, Bill, don't..."

"I'm not taking you with me, Dipper," replied Bill, "I'm warnin' you. You could'a had it easy, y'know. If you'd just left everything alone, you'd a nice, long life."

"In your world," spat Dipper.

"Eh, it wouldn't have been so bad," shrugged Bill, "But now...oh Dipper, Dipper-Dipper-Dipper, your troubles are just beginning. Ya ever hear of Cain and Abel? Two twins destined to fight each other...that'll be you in a few years, Dipper."

He narrowed his eye.

"So long, Pine Tree," he farewelled, "Enjoy your living hell!"

He let go, and Dipper lost his grip of the grappling hook. The demon fell away into the vortex and was gone.

Dipper numbly watched where Bill had been as he felt himself pulled out of the portal. A hard landing on a stone floor woke him from his dazed stupor and he felt a pair of arms wrap around him.

"Never do that to me again!" exclaimed Mabel, "I was so worried, Dipper, I thought I'd lost..."

"Can we save this?"

Eddie was looking over the generator, his expression grim.

"The portal's off, but it has a lot of pent up energy," he exclaimed, "Very, _very_ poor design. It's gonna go and it's gonna take this cave with it! We have to get out of here!"

"You heard the kid!" shouted Stan, "Run for it!"

Dipper did not need telling twice – the portal looked threatening enough. The group raced out of the chamber, darting back into the tunnels.

For the next minute or so, Dipper focused on nothing but the tunnel ahead of him, racing straight for the exit. Every muscle ached and he had no breath, but he knew that if he faltered, he was doomed. He heard a crash next to him, but he didn't stop to look. All that mattered was escape.

After what seemed like an age, he was approaching the exit. He cringed and picked up the pace, darting out of the mouth of the cave and barrelling straight into a large, soft object – he looked up to find it was Soos.

"Dude, get down!" exclaimed Soos.

Dipper leapt into the ground as a massive, thunderous bang filled his ears. His hat was blown off by a sudden gust of wind and he was showered in soot and ash. Then all was quiet.

"Okay," he heard Nate call wearily, "Everyone who isn't dead, raise your hand."

Dipper got to his feet. He was surrounded by the distraction team – Grenda, McGucket and Tambry were helping Mabel, Eddie and Wendy to their feet. His father and the Government agents were standing off to the side, dusting themselves off.

But someone was missing.

"Wh-where's Grunkle Stan?" wheezed Mabel.

There was a long silence, and all eyes fell on the cave entrance. All that could be seen was the smoke wafting out.

"Oh no," whispered Dipper, shaking his head.

"No," whimpered Soos, his voice cracking, "Not Mr. Pines, please not Mr. Pines..."

"I'm sorry, I thought he was right behind me, I...I should've stopped," stammered Wendy, her face going pale.

Mabel just stared at the mouth of the cave, tears slowly streaming down her cheeks. Eddie stood next to her, awkwardly putting an arm on her shoulder in a vain attempt to comfort her.

Then there was a cough.

Through the smoke, they could just about see a figure limping out towards them. The figure was hunched over and clearly in pain, but it's silhouette was unmistakable.

"You...you gotta be...he can't have..." stuttered Dipper, "He..._Grunkle Stan!_"

Stan emerged from the smoke, battered but alive. He was rubbing his back and muttering about every extremity hurting, but his face twisted into a grin as he saw his grand-niece and nephew.

"Takes more than that to kill Stanford Pines!" he boasted, "Now can somebody please crack my back?"

"Grunkle Stan, you're alive!" exclaimed Mabel, rushing over to hug her great uncle.

"You made it!" cheered Dipper, joined her sister.

"Mr. Pines!" said Soos, jumping into the hug.

"Gotta admit, that was pretty epic," nodded Wendy, walking over and entering the group hug.

"Okay, okay, too much hug," wheezed Stan, "Everything is in pain."

Dipper, Mabel, Soos and Wendy stopped hugging Stan, letting the old man get his breath back.

Dipper's father walked over, grinning.

"Well, that's it then," he said, "Lonnighan and the rest of the cultists are in federal custody – nothing left to do but clean up."

"But what about the fire?" asked Dipper, "We can't just let..."

"Funny y'all should mention that," interrupted McGucket.

He led Dipper and the group over to the edge of the peak. The distant fire had vanished, leaving only burnt trees as evidence that it had ever been there.

"Fire just up and vanished about two minutes ago," explained McGucket, "Like some kinda magic trick thing."

"It's true," nodded Candy, walking up to them, "There was a blue light and then – poof! Gone."

"Which means that this is mission accomplished," nodded Wendy.

All eyes suddenly fell on Stan.

"Oh, _what?_" demanded Stan, "You think that just because we won, I'm gonna fork out for some kind of..."

He sighed and looked at his feet, annoyed.

"Fine," he grumbled, "Victory party at the Shack, whatever."

The whole group cheered.

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><p>YXNR TAG'H BKIC XYEF VZJHRR WRHA KNI RCV FHFVBIE<p>

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><p>AN: Yeah, the 'Dipper, catch' bit's a friendly dig at Bioshock.<p> 


	15. Chapter XIV: Home

Well, here it is. Last chapter! ...well, _second_-last chapter, I'm gonna put up an epilogue tomorrow.

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><p><strong>Chapter XIV: Home<strong>

The sun was just rising as they returned to the Mystery Shack. There wasn't much waiting for them except for a slightly intrigued looking Gompers and a delighted Waddles scratching at the window – but the peace wouldn't last long.

At about six thirty, as Mabel was busy introducing Waddles to her father, a series of weathered fire trucks rolled into the parking lot. A fireman explained that they needed to use the parking lot as a staging area and shoved a wad of money into Stan's welcoming hands as those townsfolk who had gone to fight the fire climbed out of the trucks.

It was at this point that the celebration truly began.

The fire-fighters were covered from head to toe in ash, and all were exhausted. Stan very quickly began gathering water from the faucet for them (at $5 a glass) as they mingled with their relieved friends and families. Manly Dan, sweating profusely and still partially on fire, swept through the crowd to Wendy, embracing his daughter tightly before attempting to punch out the flames on his shoulders. Following the hulking lumberjack were Tyler, Toby Determined, the woodpecker man and his wife – even the likes of Bud Gleeful and Robbie, the latter of whom bee-lined straight to Tambry and hugged her. It was rather odd to see the two of them so happy, Dipper thought.

As Soos ran about setting up the world's most ad-hoc party, Dipper decided to duck inside and take the opportunity to collect himself after the night's events. He found Mabel next to the counter, apparently attempting to play tic-tac-toe with Waddles. He sat down next to them, sighed and took his hat off.

"I never wanna see another triangle again," he said.

"Agreed," nodded Mabel.

"I thought you'd be outside," said Dipper, "With Candy and Grenda. You okay?"

"I'm fine," replied Mabel, smiling at her brother, "Just need some time to..."

"...catch your breath?" finished Dipper.

Mabel nodded.

"He didn't do anything to you, did he?" asked Dipper.

"Nope!" replied Mabel, "I bet he was too afraid of what you'd do to him if he did."

"I doubt that," grunted Dipper.

Mabel beamed and put an arm around her brother's shoulder.

"Don't knock yourself, Dipping Sauce!" she reassured, "You just saved all our lives and defeated Bill forever! _And_ you're a Child of Destiny! _And _you're my brother, so if you ever need help I'm there to save your butt! Now smile."

"Mabel..."

"I said smile!" Mabel shouted.

Dipper chuckled.

"Thanks, Mabel," he said, grinning, "I might go see if Soos found any cola. Want any?"

"Aw yeah! I missed the cola around here!" exclaimed Mabel, "It had this weird fungus-y taste..."

Dipper climbed to his feet. His eyes met the vending machine – his eyebrow raised as he found it open.

"Actually, how about we track down Grunkle Stan?" he asked.

Dipper walked through the secret passage, Mabel right behind him. They descended down the elevator and walked through the surveillance room, Mabel expressing her astonishment at them the whole way. Eventually they emerged in the portal room – as Mabel gazed at the portal in wonder, Dipper looked over to the switch in front of the portal.

Stan was standing next to it, gazing solemnly up at the portal. Soos was next to him, an arm on his boss' shoulder.

"You sure about this, Mr. Pines?" asked Soos.

"Soos, do you know why I built this thing?" replied Stan, "After I lost Stanley and McGucket, I was alone. I wanted my family back."

He sighed heavily.

"But I realised today," he continued, "I _do_ have a family, Soos. Sure, it's not a normal family, but it's _my_ family...and I nearly lost them because of my obsession with this thing."

He looked down at the switch.

"Time to let go," he said.

He pulled the switch.

The portal shimmered and blinked out of existence without fanfare, leaving the room dark and quiet. Stan turned away, walking to the door. He stopped when he reached Dipper and Mabel – he leant down and hugged his grandniece and nephew.

"No more looking back," he said, "I've got a _future_ to look forward to."

He let go of the kids and put his hands on his hips.

"Now let's go swindle some partygoers!" he declared.

He marched out of the room. Dipper, Mabel and Soos followed him eagerly.

* * *

><p>Dipper sat next to Wendy on a bench outside the shack, watching the party and occasionally commenting on interesting things they saw. They were just watching Thompson's attempt at doing the worm when they heard a shout behind them.<p>

"_This isn't over, boy!_"

They turned around. Principal Lonnighan was being dragged by Blubs and Durland into a squad car, Powers and Trigger watching stoically behind them. The man was shouting at them and frothing at the mouth.

"They won't be able to hold me, Pines!" he thundered, "No jury would ever believe this actually happened! I'll be out by the time September ends and when I do, I will make your life a living hell, you hear? You thought Piedmont was bad before? I've got friends in the council, Pines – and if that don't work, I'll come for you myself! _I'll break you, Pines! I'll break-_"

Durland threw him in the back of the car and slammed the door.

"He's got no seatbelt," he said, "Wanna take all those back roads with the potholes?"

"Durls, you read my mind," smirked Blubs.

The two cops got into the car and drove away. Powers watched them leave, his expression wary, before he walked off to find Dipper's father.

"Well, he took that well," shrugged Wendy.

"I kinda feel sorry for Harry, though," said Dipper, "I mean, sure, he was a jerk, but he doesn't deserve to go through this..."

"Nobody ever does," replied Wendy, "Poor guy."

The two turned around, going back to watching Thompson's dance.

* * *

><p>The party had died out by noon – most people had gone home to get some sleep after the events of the night. By early afternoon, only the Mystery Shack crew, Dipper's father, Eddie, Candy and Grenda remained, sitting outside and enjoying the autun breeze. Dipper's father was on the phone, looking somewhat concerned – every now and then, he and Stan would lock eyes, nod at each other and go back to what they were doing.<p>

Dipper lay on the grass, looking up at the sky. The clouds wafted across the blue sky above, and the sun shone over green and brown trees. It was so colourful – so different to Piedmont had been.

"Dipper, we need to talk."

Dipper sat up as his father walked over to him, Mabel and Stan behind him. His father knelt down – his face was grim.

"Agent Powers says that it's pretty much guaranteed that Lonnighan will be let off the hook," explained his father, "And when that happens, he'll be free to go right back into society in Piedmont...and you'd be in danger. I've endangered you enough this week, and anyway, I've seen you in Piedmont these last few weeks and..."

He sighed heavily and looked at his feet.

"What're you saying, dad?" asked Dipper.

"Have you ever heard the phrase..." Dipper's father paused, seemingly to compose himself, "The phrase; 'If you love something, you have to let it go?'"

"Dad..."

"I'm letting you go, son," said his father, his voice cracking a little, "You're a Child of Destiny. This is where you belong. This is where you'll thrive."

"You're leaving me here?" asked Dipper, feeling numb.

"We've asked so much of you these last few weeks," replied his father, "I-I just have to ask you one more thing, Dipper. Be strong for me, alright?"

"Mabel?"

"Your mother put her foot down on that," replied his father, "Just you."

Dipper stared at his father for a moment, slack-jawed. His eyes began to water.

"I...I'm gonna miss you, dad," he stammered.

"I know," said his father, hugging his son.

Dipper hugged back before letting go and walking over to Mabel. His sister was close to tears, and she immediately embraced him.

"I don't...I don't wanna lose you again," whimpered Mabel, sniffling.

"You're not losing me, Mabel," replied Dipper, as he began to tear up himself, "We're just...it's just goodbye for a while, that's all."

They hugged for a long time, letting their tears out. Nobody around said a word – Dipper's father was crying himself, even if he tried to hide it, and Stan simply looked at his feet.

Eventually, Dipper and Mabel let go of each other. As they did so, a small white van with Federal Government licence plates rolled into the parking lot, stopping next to them. A man in a black suit leant out the door.

"Bus to Piedmont," he called, "Arranged by Agent Powers, I'm looking for a Simon Pines?"

"Well, here we go," sighed Dipper's father.

He climbed into the bus to give directions as the rest of the Shack crew, Candy, Grenda and Eddie made their way over. Eddie stopped by Dipper and offered his hand.

"See you around, Dipper," said Eddie, smiling.

Dipper smiled back and shook his hand.

"See you around, friend," he replied.

"I thought we were anti-friends?" quizzed Eddie.

"Nah, you can't really go through this kind of thing without becoming friends," said Dipper.

"Can't argue with that," nodded Eddie, "Keep in touch."

"I will," said Dipper.

Eddie smiled and climbed into the van. Not far away, Mabel was saying her farewells to Candy and Grenda.

"Why do you have to go home so soon?" demanded Grenda, "I hate this so much!"

"You will come back, won't you Mabel?" asked Candy.

"Bet on it, girls!" replied Mabel, "Look after Waddles for me! Bye!"

She turned to Dipper, offering him a smile.

"Keep in touch," she said, "Every day. I wanna hear from you every day..."

"Done," nodded Dipper, "I'm gonna miss you, Mabel."

"Awkward sibling hug?" offered Mabel.

"Awkward sibling hug," replied Dipper.

The two embraced again, patting each other on the back as they did so. Quite suddenly, they found Soos joining in the hug, then Wendy, then Candy and Grenda.

"Ah, heck with it," shrugged Stan, as he too joined the hug.

Dipper and Mabel laughed as they broke from the hug.

"See you later, bro-bro," said Mabel.

"See you later, Mabel," said Dipper.

Mabel waved and climbed into the van. Dipper's father stopped talking to the driver and turned to the door.

"Stan!" he called, "Just a heads up – working at the Shack doesn't constitute an education! Get him enrolled in school, we'll send you the money, _do not pocket it._"

"Yeah, whatever Simon," grunted Stan, "See you around, Simon."

Dipper's father rolled his eyes and turned to his son.

"Good luck, Dipper," he said, "I love you."

"Love you too, dad," replied Dipper, "And thanks for helping me."

"Anytime, son, anytime."

He walked to the back of the van. The door closed and the van rolled away, turning a corner and disappearing into the woodlands.

"You okay, Dipper?" asked Wendy.

Dipper took a deep breath.

"I...I think I'm gonna be fine," he replied.

"Well," said Candy, "I think we've been awake for over thirty-six hours by now."

She beamed and immediately collapsed into slumber. Grenda nonchalantly picked her up, carrying her sleeping form over her shoulder.

"I'll take her home," she said, "See ya later, guys!"

She walked away, humming to herself.

"Well, I better go prepare the attic," sighed Stan, "I better..."

He paused suddenly, patting down his suit jacket.

"Oh yeah, I forgot," he said, "Found this down in the lab. I never got around to putting anything in it, and you're gonna need something to do in this one-horse town, so..."

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a familiar looking journal – a six-fingered hand was engraved in brass on the front, the number '4' emblazoned in the middle. He handed it to Dipper, who looked over it, eyes wide.

"You...you want me to fill this in?" he asked.

"Eh, beats the heck out of using up my phone bill on the internet," shrugged Stan.

Dipper looked over the book. He frowned.

"Gee, I dunno," he said, "I'm not sure I can do this alone..."

"Who said anything about doing it alone, dude?"

Soos put his hand on Dipper's shoulder and grinned. Wendy knelt down and put her arm around his other shoulder.

"You've got me and Soos, man!" she said, smiling, "I mean come on, do you know how much I missed our adventures when you were back in California? We've finally got something _fun_ to do, dude!"

"Aw, what have I done?" moaned Stan, facepalming, "Now _nothing_ is gonna get done in this shack..."

He walked away, muttering to himself.

"So how about it, dude?" asked Soos, "Mystery Crew?"

Dipper grinned broadly.

"Mystery Crew."

* * *

><p>OHVY YBRY NHFB TBX VDRAWA<p>

* * *

><p>AN: I was going to use 'Mystery Trio', but that's for Stan, Stanley and McGucket.<p>

Epilogue tomorrow!


	16. Epilogue

Well, here we are at the end of the line. Time to answer some questions.

Guest review replies;

**Tazmanian Dev:** Wonder no more, for here it is! :D Thanks for reading!

**randomreader:** Indeed, and ain't new journeys the best ones? Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

><p><strong>Epilogue<strong>

Harry Lonnighan sat in the darkened room, leaning onto the table. His head was buried in his hands.

It was three days after the incident on Mount Northwest. Harry had wandered down the mountain, slipping the ineffective net of Blubs and Durland and trying to find something, _anything_ that was still the same as it had been before. He felt scared, tired and heartbroken – but mostly, he felt lost.

He looked at the other occupant of the room with dark, rimmed eyes. He looked utterly defeated.

"He was right there," he said, "In my hands, over that rise...and I just couldn't do it. I was too _weak_. Now my dad thinks I'm a traitor and my life is over."

"So why come to me?"

Harry rubbed a hand over his hair.

"I want my world back," he replied, his voice shaking, "I want everything back to the way it was before Dipper Pines came into my life. Please, they told me you could help me..."

The other occupant of the room leaned into the dim light at the centre of the table.

"And what," he asked, "Are ya willin' to do for me?"

"Anything," replied Harry, "I'll do anything."

The other occupant nodded.

"Well," said Gideon, "If ya wanna deal with Dipper Pines, you came to the right place..."

* * *

><p>24th September 2012. Monday. School again.<p>

Mabel Pines looked glumly out the window of her mother's car into the grey drizzle that poured over the suburbia of Piedmont, California. Clear drops drizzled down the dirty glass, distorting the drab canvas of identical brick houses and perfectly rectangular hedges. Men and women walked along the sidewalks, dressed in blacks and greys and browns – just another ordinary Monday in just another ordinary town.

This suited Mabel just fine, mind you. She actually quite liked life in Piedmont. She had friends, she had a good school, she had loving parents – everything a thirteen-year-old girl might need.

But it just wasn't the same without Dipper.

The car pulled up outside her school – the General Patton Private Middle School, just over the border with Oakland. She sighed, grabbing her bag and reaching for the door handle.

"Mabel, wait."

She stopped as she felt her mother's hand on her shoulder. She looked back – her mother was smiling at her, a look of sympathy in her eyes.

"Cheer up," she said, "Give me a smile, huh?"

Mabel forced a grin and climbed out of the car.

The Patton Middle School was a far cry from Shell Heights, from what Mabel had heard. The corridors were vibrantly coloured and well maintained – bright green lockers stood in orderly rows in the brightly-lit brown-and-orange hallway. Mabel had already bedazzled her locker, which made it stand out among the others. Her art teacher had been rather impressed.

Mabel opened her locker and deposited her bag inside. She was just grabbing her books for first class when she heard the intercom.

"_Mabel Pines to the Principal's office, that's Mabel Pines to the Principal's office._"

Mabel suppressed a gulp as she shut her locker. Being called up to the office was rarely a good thing.

"Dang, Mabel, what'd you do?"

A short, tan-skinned girl with dark hair and freckles glanced over to her from across the hallway, a look of slight concern on her face.

"No idea, Tiffany," shrugged Mabel, "Maybe he found out about the thing with the stickers."

Mabel smiled and chuckled to herself.

"That was pretty funny," she muttered to herself.

She closed her locker and walked down the corridor, heading for the Principal's office. The small room was at the end of the hallway, marked with a simple gold plaque – _Principal_.

She took a deep breath and stepped inside.

"Ah, Mabel, there you are!" exclaimed the elderly principal, smiling as he climbed to his feet. The old man was bald – he wore an old fashioned lime-green pinstripe suit, and was rather gaunt, but his eyes twinkled a little in the light. He looked utterly harmless – the very antithesis of Gordon Lonnighan.

"Hi Mr. Principal!" replied Mabel, relieved to see that she didn't seem to be in trouble, "What did you call me up for?"

The principal sat back down, reclining on his chair.

"We have a very interesting proposition for you, Mabel," he replied, "A _very_ interesting one indeed. Care for a malt biscuit?"

"Proposition?" quizzed Mabel, "What kind of proposition?"

"Well, you'll have to ask our esteemed guest, Mabel," replied the principal, motioning to his right.

Mabel turned to the lounges on the side of the room. An elderly man was sat on one of them, a walking stick leaning against the armrest next to him. He wore a tweed jacket over a white shirt and dark green tie. He looked strangely familiar to Mabel, almost as if she'd seen him before.

"Ooh!" said Mabel, "Are you a doctor? You look like a doctor..."

"In a way," replied the old man, climbing to his feet and offering his hand, "I've heard of what happened in Gravity Falls."

Mabel's eyes widened, and she gasped.

"But how?" she exclaimed, "Were you spying on us? Are some kind of _spy doctor?_ Because if you are..."

The old man chuckled and shook his head.

"Don't worry, Mabel, I'm on your side," he said calmly, "I've dealt with Bill Cipher before. You might say it was quite an incident and...oh, where are my manners?"

He offered his hand again.

"I am the leader of the All-Seeing Eye Association," he explained, "No connection to the Blind Eye, I assure you. We want to offer you a place within our organisation."

Mabel narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Who am I?" replied the old man, "My name is Stanley Pines – but you can call me grandpa."

**The End**

* * *

><p>AN: Wait, did I say answer questions? Because I totally meant RAISE EVEN MORE QUESTIONS<p>

Well, that's it for _Forever Autumn_. We'll be coming back to this storyline in the new future, probably a little after Christmas, but for now, I'd like to express my utter gratitude to everyone who read, reviewed, followed and faved this story. I am absolutely stunned at how well this story ended up doing, and I am completely humbled. I seriously do not know how to thank you all properly - you guys are fantastic.

I'd like to give out specific thanks to our buffalo-riding lord and master, Alex Hirsch, without whom this story would not exist.

You'll probably see more of this again soon - I'm planning on making a oneshot collection set in this world so that I can explore stuff that happens in the background and stuff - but otherwise, I'll see you after Christmas for the follow-up to this. So long, thanks for all the fish, and have an excellent holiday season!


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